The Devil
by Airrah11
Summary: Upright: Bondage, addiction, sexuality, materialism. "Beware the wolf in sheep's clothes." Evil Zero, MPREG, Partial Genderbend, Spirits, Purebloods, KaZe.
1. Dance with the Devil

_**A/N: Hi, all! I decided to come up with a new vampire knight fanfiction today and thought I would introduce it to you. This story will be centered around a progenitor-like Zero in a kind of 'evil queen' style. There will be shapeshifting (of the gender and of the race) and of course, KaZe. I just got curious as to how they would do if Zero was coming out as an equal, if not superior being to Kaname's own and so I want to explore it. Please Fave, FOLLOW, and REVIEW. I am really looking forward to the replies I get as to whether ya'll think I should continue. As always, I will reply to ya'll as long as you post under an account so I CAN reply to ya'll. Enjoy! :)**_

* * *

He did not care to throw his troubles at those that surrounded him.

Not any of the people that surrounded him- not Cross, not Yagari, not Yuki, and for damn sure, not Kuran.

It would appear that he had no choice in the matter though- no, he had to drink from the vampire prince's throat once a week to keep Yuki safe apparently.

Inwardly, Zero scoffed at the idea.

Him? A hunter-no, an ex-hunter? A level-D of all things?

The Nobles denigrated him even further, calling him a level-E, an end level.

In truth, he was none of those things.

Well, he _had_ been trained as a hunter, so that was somewhat applicable, but the rest? Whoever thought that _had_ to be dreaming.

As if his sire would sink so low as to produce mortal heirs in any race- vampire, hunter, _or_ human.

No, Krowe would never have dreamed of sinking so low as to produce mixed children.

Zero chuckled as he took a drag from his cigarette atop the Academy's roof, keeping a careful eye on the Night Class via the window that was angled just slightly above them in their seats.

But anyway, Krowe.

Krowe was not a member of any of the aforementioned races- no, he was something far older, far more ancient- far more powerful.

In all honesty, Zero didn't know if Krowe was a he or a she or something in between- he had never been able to pen down his sire's status in all his years of living.

Indeed, Zero was far older than he appeared- older than most if not all living purebloods, including the pureblood prince who glanced up at him through the window.

Yes, even when accounting for his prior lifetime as an ancestor. It was almost pitiable, for him- the great Vampire King- to be without his memories, to be living almost defenseless if not for his clever mind and penchant for questionable interpersonal relationship skills.

Zero smirked as he took another drag.

What does age have anything to do with this, you might ask?

Well, as with most things- he had only grown more experienced, more skilled with age- he had perfected his mortal mask long ago, had long since learned the ways of magic- and with age had come a… unique brand of immortality that left him tethered with one foot in this plane and a foot in another, spectral limbs connected to more than he could count.

Zero, while somewhat flesh and bone as he was now, could just as easily ditch this imprisoning blood bag and return to living as a spirit. But no- he had been working too long to ditch this life so easily, not after all the work he had put into it.

And where would that leave Kuran if he left?

He was the _Knight_. He couldn't just up and leave Yuki to fateful death, could he?

Yuki.

Tsk. tsk. Tsk. Yuki.

She was a cute girl yes- more than a little annoying- but had her endearing qualities too. Plus, it was fun to see her make a fool of herself near constantly even as he forced himself to scoff at her each time when all he wanted to do was laugh.

That wouldn't make much sense though, would it? For the poor, downtrodden ex-hunter to ever feel happiness after his family had been torn apart.

Zero blew out a smoky breath with a wry smirk.

Kuran had constructed plans around the three of them since she was a child- even going so far as to trouble Zero's own plans around his descendents.

The Kiryu's had been kind to him, both caught up in a hunt overseas when Shizuka Hiou lover had been slain.

Zero had been the one to do it, of course. And he had made damn sure to not let it get out that his 'parents' had been away at the time.

It was only when a little birdy told him of the Kuran heir's upcoming plans of separating him from his family that Zero came across a fork in the road.

He could go along with the plan, making little modifications that would benefit himself and perhaps gain entertainment from it,or he could kill the two surviving Kuran's and go about his merry way.

It was easy to see that he had picked the former.

Zero had grown glad of it over time- Kaname was quite the beauty to look at and Zero got the feeling it was only a matter of time that he came into his power yet again and unleashed hell upon the world.

The very idea caused shivers to break out over Zero's flesh, his breath coming in shorter bursts as excitement at the very hint that he might soon find an equal match.

Perhaps the pureblood Prince would even surpass him.

Zero chuckled to himself.

As if _that_ was ever going to happen.

But still- it had been so long since he had taken a lover.

No, he had lived celibate for far too long- purely due to the fact that most everyone else was hopelessly weaker.

He had yearned for someone to be able to seize control from him, to dominate his body and demand more than what he could offer.

Some might say it would only lead to bad things for the silver haired being- but oh, did he grow overjoyed at the very thought.

And all he had to do was defeat Rido to unleash Kuran's power.

But before that he had some things to do.

Find his 'little brother' for one, kill Shizuka Hiou for another.

And, you know...

Win the Prince's heart.

Fun.


	2. Everybody's Fool

**_A/N: Okay, so this is the first real chapter of The Devil. Just allow me to get it out of the way- it has been a long time since I've watched the anime and I've never read the manga, so I will mostly be sticking to the major plot points I can recall. That being said, I will most likely not always be sticking to canon events and as you can already tell, will not be sticking to canon Zero._**

 ** _Alright, so I wanted to thank everyone who has already reviewed the story (Love332, jesakura22, and King of Hearts 129), thank the person who has already faved (King of Hearts 129), and thank everyone who has followed (King of Hearts 129, hebasab442, and jesakura22)._**

 ** _As always, leave your questions in the reviews (under accounts) and I will PM you answers to your questions._**

 ** _Please Fave, FOLLOW, and REVIEW (!)._**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

 ** _EDIT: I forgot to copy my intro in, so I had to update it. My apologies._**

* * *

Okay, so it had all been working out fine and dandy for the weeks leading up to the Winter formal and Zero had easily scored the highest marks in the class, garnering him an unending crowd of envious mortals to gripe at him.

Yuki… had not done as well.

It was almost sad how poor her grades were- and that was with Zero tutoring her (and contrary to what it may seen, he was quite a good teacher, so he was quite sure it was an error in her genetic code that caused her to have the instant recall of a moth).

But on the more entertaining side, the Kuran heir had been giving him blood for weeks now which did allow his body to take to his power more efficiently as it was made more physical and less astral.

He had continued training in his off hours since Yagari had arrived at the Academy and even the old hunter had commented on how advanced he was.

Zero had waved it off with a simple dismissal- 'must be the good genes, sensei.'

But as the evening of the formal drew closer he became a wee bit concerned as Yuki took to having clandestine convos with a certain pureblood who was taking up host in Maria Kurenai's body.

It should come to no surprise that Zero had planned out his next actions very carefully- and oh, how within character they would have been had they come to fruition like how he planned.

Was he that lucky?

No.

But at least it was somewhat entertaining when one his more major secrets came out to the one he had just got finished declaring his intentions to woo.

Yeah, he was old fashioned- but it was better than playing hanky panky in the forest surrounding the Academy with a fifteen year old of all things, so excuse me if he fell back on his old world charm.

Zero snorted at the thought of 'old world charm'- let's just say it wasn't as charming as one might be inclined to believe.

But regardless, allow him to set the stage for you.

He had arrived at the dance a half hour after it began, shirking off his supposed Day Class duties to provide service- he was over twelve thousand years old, and he was being made to service teenagers- yeah, safe to say that wasn't going to happen.

Zero weaved his way through the crowd of impeccably dressed Night Class students and the lesser dressed Day Class, his own form dressed in more of a relaxed mortal style, but made of higher quality fabrics that were especially resistant to blood, or at least so the old seamstress had heralded.

He left his hair in its usual state of 'alluring disarray', the only accessories being the hidden obligatory Bloody Rose which he both adored and despised.

Guns were so loud and obnoxious- no, the real Zero preferred blades or staffed weapons.

He had briefly entertained the idea that he would steal Artemis Rod from Yuki if only for an hour to see how the scythe would feel beneath his fingertips. It would be something new, anyway.

He knocked back a fluted glass of some vague non-alcoholic champagne before ghosting his way over to the Pureblood Prince who had managed to separate himself off to the side, not even his followers hanging beside him.

Zero didn't doubt Seiren was within pinching distance as he came to stand before the pureblood.

"Are you drunk, Kiryu? You never seek me out willingly or not." Kuran teased and Zero gave a dry chuckle, inclined to make so nice that the pureblood would catch a toothache.

"Well…" Zero drawled, "I for one am curious about a few things."

"Like what?" Kaname smirked, his gaze heavy on the silverette.

Zero's lips quirked in return, but he hid it behind another flute glass.

"Well for one, how long it will take Yagari to throw Cross off the third floor balcony."

"I wager not long." Kaname rolled his eyes.

Zero shrugged with a wry grin, "You should have seen it when Yagari was younger, sensei threw Cross off a five story roof. He was fine… eventually anyway."

"Are you, dare I say it, smiling, Kiryu?"

Zero fanned himself dramatically, "It must be this weather we've been having or the absolutely delectable drinks we're being served tonight. Too much for a lightweight like me to handle, I suppose."

He exchanged his empty glass for another full one as he lamented, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I never imagined you would enjoy parties." The elder Kuran continued as both of their gazes fell to the entrance where Yuki was about to enter, both of them sensing her familiar aura.

"I never actually go to parties. But…"

Here is where it started to actually shift his plans (aka- rookie mistake numero uno).

He glanced at Kaname- the pureblood's perfect aristocratic feature contorted into his usual mask, a mask not many would be able to see through. Zero liked to believe he was one of them.

Who knew? Maybe he actually was.

"But what, Kiryu?" Kaname asked, his wine colored orbs nailed to the entrance as Yuki slid within the dance late, also attempting to shirk the duties their Class had earned.

She was never that great about getting away with shirking duties like Zero was. A point of contention between them.

"But I think we both know this is not exactly going to a party night for humans."

Zero saluted Yuki with his glass as she spotted them, a brilliant cherry blush lighting up her fair features.

For a moment he could feel the weight of both Kaname and Yuki's stares as one and he sported a quick barely-there smirk, before downing the rest of his drink and disappearing into the crowd

He'd gladly allow Yuki and Kaname to have their special moment as he made sure to search the party for his 'twin'. He was no doubt here, if only to lure Yuki to Maria in the old dorm and Zero figured it was time to have a little chat with his baby brother.

But he couldn't yet send out his senses, the other vampires might then get a grasp of his aura and he couldn't allow it so soon.

So he ghosted through the party, his normal aura laying aside any who dared come up to him. Well, other than Aido it would seem.

The blond vampire had suddenly appeared beside him surprisingly without his cousin and had apparently decided to confront him.

"Kiryu! What has got you in such a good mood?"

Zero rolled his eyes. Indeed, his lips had kept their upturned edges but it was so slight that everyone else seemed to obtuse to notice.

"Oh, I think we both have the good sense to know something is coming tonight, Aido. I have no doubt you have also picked up on Kurenai-san and how she is most certainly not what she seems."

He glanced at the shorter vampire and Aido blinked at him with somewhat narrowed eyes.

"And?" Aido pushed and Zero shrugged.

"I'll leave that up to you."

He turned away from Aido and spotted a shadow on the second floor, tracking it down as he flitted up the stairs toward the corner where it sat enshrouded in darkness.

Ichiru had been practicing it would seem.

Zero perched himself along a column and stared down at the crowd, following Kaname and Yuki's forms, occasionally glancing up a floor at his sensei and clueless foster father.

"The clock will soon strike midnight." He remarked and Ichiru gave a dry laugh.

"The pieces shall fall into place."

Zero chuckled with a wry smirk, "And all will realize the Hand's might."

Ichiru and he both laughed.

"I am surprised to see you so free, Nii-san." Ichiru drawled and Zero shrugged.

"I think we both know that the end of this phase in our lives draws near."

The chair Ichiru sat in creaked and Zero caught a glint of silver as the candlelight glanced across the younger Kiryu's hair.

Yuki had left Kaname's side and the elder Kuran had been drawn off to the far reaches of the first floor by a crowd of adoring fans as the Day Class was let free in full force. Zero glanced at the shadows.

"I think that's your sign."

Ichiru escaped through the shadows, approaching Yuki after sliding down the stairs to her.

Zero couldn't see what his brother said to her but soon witnessed her depart from the building following after him.

His eyes tracked Kaname for a few minutes afterward, giving them a nice headstart.

It was only when he knew that the elder Kuran was growing aware of her departure that Zero decided to follow after the pair.

His own servants alerted him as soon as he exited the gathering of the positions of Yuki and the pair of cousins.

The spectres of darkness soon dispersed back into the night as he crossed the campus with light feet, barely disturbing the grass as he flitted after Yuki's aura.

When he caught up to them Yuki had introduced herself to Shizuka as Ichiru left the room with the Kurenai girl's sleeping form.

"You can grant Zero a higher status- where he need not fall to level-E- if only in return for me to have but one taste of your blood." She offered Yuki and his adopted sister appeared to consider it, drawing closer to the female pureblood till she was but within a three foot reach.

The Madly Blooming Princess would not even need to stand to grip into her and tear open her throat.

He glanced at the scene for a flash of a moment, releasing a soft growl when he noted Kuran's aura draw closer to the dorm.

Fine. He'd speed things up a bit.

In the span of a breath, he cast Yuki back behind him and stared down at Shizuka near apathetically.

"Zero…" She purred, "We were just going to have a late night meal. Why did you have to go and ruin it?"

"I think we both know why, Shizuka."

"Ah yes- I take it you are here to kill me. Your master."

She pouted, "What will you do? Rip out my heart? Where would that leave your brother?"

He chuckled and Yuki gripped his suit's arm to try and pull him back.

"Zero! You can't! You need her blood!"

He ignored her.

"Ichiru is more clever than you give him credit for, Shizuka. I think he'll get along just fine."

Kuran's aura entered the building and he grimaced.

"It would seem I need to finish this quickly. Pity." he breathed.

"I'd hoped to enjoy this."

Shizuka narrowed her eyes on him and he could see her grapple with the loose master bond to try and prevent him from acting.

He severed the spectre bond and her eyes widened as she got a sense of his own power.

"You are not-"

"No."

"What are you?"

He sent her a small smile and threw Yuki back upon the floor, knocking her out.

"I have gone by many names. As for what I am… even I do not know."

She stood, her kimono billowing out as the windows shattered, glass collapsing inward into the room, drawing cuts upon all of them as Ichiru entered the room.

Kuran's aura was within feet of the room and it was only when he was in the doorway that Zero ripped out the pureblood vampiress' heart.

He had wanted to taste her awe, her fear as she glanced deep within his eyes- seeing something that very few had ever seen before.

Blood spattered his face and the heart beat for moments in his hand before it disappeared in a mass of shadows right before the Hiou princess's form began to crack like a broken doll before bursting into silver dust.

He licked the blood that clinged to his hand for a moment before summoning his servants to pull Ichiru away, giving the younger Kiryu a safe escape.

It left Zero alone with the unconscious unwitting vampire princess and the vampire prince who stood as still as a statue in the doorway, his aura trying to win entrance into Zero's own.

Zero smiled brightly, his back to them both before dropping his grin and taking up a calm facade and turning to Kuran.

He waited for the pureblood to make his move.

Would he yell? Would he send him a cutting remark? Would h-

"It appears I should thank you, Kiryu."

Ew.

"Please don't." Zero blew out, "We both know that I was only fulfilling a role you wanted me to play."

Kaname quirked a brow and stepped into the room until he stood even with his passed out sibling.

"Is that so?" He smirked, "What makes you think I wanted you to kill Shizuka?"

Zero rolled his eyes, "Am I to believe you didn't want her dead and gone?"

The vampire prince sent him the equivalent of a visual shrug.

"Perhaps I wanted to kill her myself."

Zero yet again rolled his eyes, "Let me guess, if only to keep me reliant on you."

Kaname's lips quirked and Zero sighed.

"You know…" He said wistfully as he stepped down off the dais and slowly began to pass the brunet, "There are many other things to keep my attention."

The pureblood stilled, almost in shock and Zero laughed as he left the room.

Even though they had been alone Zero knew the pureblood would take action at his words.

Zero was just curious as to what action would be taken.


	3. Fire in the Water

_**A/N: Hi, All! First i wanted to thank those that reviewed chapter two (ben4kevin, King of Hearts 129, and Love332)(Thank you especially if you reviewed both the first and second, I noticed), Faved (King of Hearts 129, Sapphir Kyuubi, ben4kevin) and those who followed (King of Hearts 129, Sapphir Kyuubi, ben4kevin, berryc, hebasab442, jesakura22). Ya'll are awesome! As always, please review under a username with any of your questions, I will PM you your answers. Please Fave, FOLLOW, and REVIEW (!). Enjoy :)**_

* * *

Ichiru was waiting for him when he returned to his room in the Sun Dorms, his mask gone, revealing features identical to his own.

He sat on the bed, the curtains drawn, only the lamp that lay beside Zero's bed providing lighting.

For a moment Zero contemplated revealing his true form- but he put that thought to bed. Ichiru had never minded sharing a face with who amounted to be his far removed grandfather- the sire to the Kiryu line.

When Zero had decided to re-enter the mortal world he had tracked his descendents down till he found who would become his father in this life, watching as he grew and fell for another hunter of another powerful clan.

She near resembled Zero's first wife, but the similar looks were ruined by the severe difference in eye color and the way his descendant's wife held herself- rigid, and without warmth.

So he had watched them marry and create a life together and when they had decided to finally produce an heir he had created a new body for himself within his soon-to-be mother's womd, inadvertently fostering the growth of an identical twin.

They had grown steady for a few years, Ichiru's body slowly beginning to fail as time wore on.

He inevitably told his twin of what he was, briefly providing a glimpse via a mirror in their bedroom of what he truly resembled.

Ichiru had been awed and Zero had been glad to see that the boy was not afraid of him.

"How could I be afraid of you, Nii-san? You are my other half, whether you intended it or not."

Ichiru had grown to be able to read him like a book and in turn Zero had adopted him fully as a brother, coming to see him as perhaps the only one worth his care.

But as he had grown and he came back into more and more of his power he came to realize that events were about to come to fruition that would change the life he had so carefully planned for himself here.

But when he had seen the opportunity to breathe new life into his plans- to perhaps draw more entertainment to the dull monotony that had become his existence- he seized it.

He killed Shizuka's lover quickly and without remorse and he knew it would only be a matter of time before word got out that he was killed by hunters which would inevitably lead the pureblood to his family's home.

It _had_ surprised him though when she approached Ichiru first- and with kindness, too.

But Zero merely saw that as another blessed opportunity and brought his brother into the fold, convincing him to go with the pureblood, to make his way into her service and to discreetly follow Zero's directions to the letter.

Well, he hadn't taken _that_ much convincing, and Shizuka to be fair, had certainly acted relatively independently. But would anyone _truly_ believe that she had decided to show herself here for no reason?

The reason alluded him as he threw off his suit jacket and unbuttoned his collar, placing the weapon he was always supposed to keep close at hand in the drawer beside the bed.

Ichiru was quiet as he waited for him to settle down.

Zero smiled at him, ruffling the younger male's hair lovingly.

"I take it I did well?" Ichiru drawled and Zero nodded, throwing off his shoes and sitting down beside him with his back facing the headboard.

"I have set a lure for Kuran. We shall see if he allows himself the pleasure of following where it takes him."

"You mean where it takes you both." Ichiru rolled his eyes and Zero smirked.

"Of course."

Ichiru glanced at him briefly, "And what of your plans for his sister- your adopted sister?"

Zero cocked his head to the side, analyzing Ichiru before he broke the growing silence.

"Do you like Yuki?" He asked and his brother's face lit up like a christmas tree.

Zero couldn't hold his laughter in, Ichiru pouting like a sulking child until he calmed.

Zero rolled his eyes, "I don't care for her that much, but it would do me no issue should you pursue her."

"I am surprised you're not going for her," Ichiru admitted and Zero blew out a breath.

"Yuki, while sometimes charming, can be quite annoying what with the screeching and the pestering and her need to smack me when she doesn't get her way."

Ichiru paled, "And you left her alive?"

Zero shrugged, "I wasn't planning to _forever,,_ but if she makes you happy I will."

"What were you planning to do when Kuran found out you killed her?"

Zero leaned back and stretched his legs out, "Ru, we both know that if I wanted her dead no one would have been the wiser. I think you forget that I can leave my body at any time. I need only return before it dies off of starvation or thirst."

"You were planning to kill her as a ghost?"

It was Zero's time to pout.

"Why not, it would have been merciful. All I would have had to do was… I don't know. Set her on fire, maybe? Rip out her heart? I hadn't given it much thought."

Ichiru sighed, "You know, Nii-san, you scare me sometimes."

Zero grinned at him, "Of course I do. That just means you have common sense."

Ichiru scoffed, "And here I thought you would comfort me."

Zero rolled his eyes, "You're also remarkably clever, Ru. You know I would never kill you. You are after all, my brother."

"Technically, I'm your great-great-great-great-"

"Semantics."

* * *

The next morning found the pair in the headmaster's office, both of them sitting before Cross- Zero with his annoyed mask perfectly in place and Ichiru with a bright welcoming grin plastered over his own visage.

"Well, I don't know, Ichiru-kun…" Cross trailed off and glanced at Zero.

"What do you have to say about this, Zero-chan."

He narrowed his eyes on the blond ex-hunter and the man shuddered as Ichiru near giggled beside him.

He was going to murder the blond one day- he had long ago vowed it despite the male's somewhat endearing aspects.

Zero scoffed and shrugged, looking off toward the window that looked out upon the headmaster's lawn.

He couldn't wait for winter to truly reach across the academy's grounds- it would make his life more entertaining as events grew in fervor.

But until then….

"Well, alright, Ichiru-kun. But our only opening in the Sun Dorms would put you two sharing a room."

Ichiru turned to beam at him, his perfect happy smile making the elder twin roll his eyes.

"Won't it be great, Nii-san?"

Zero sighed, "Whatever."

They left the office after Cross found Ichiru a day class uniform, Zero leading him down the stairs to the headmaster's living quarters before he stumbled upon a groggy Yuki in the den.

"Zero!" She cried in surprise and he rolled his eyes yet again..

She cut herself off when she caught sight of Ichiru however.

His younger brother approached her and rubbed the back of his neck, pasting on an apologetic smile on his face, his eyes convincing Yuki that he was genuine as he offered her his _most_ _heartfelt apologies._

Zero scoffed and made his way into the kitchen, stretching out his senses to listen in from afar.

"Yuki, I am _so_ sorry about last night. I… I never thought she would hurt you-"

Yuki cut him off, "She didn't! Don't worry, Ichiru-kun. Zero saved me before she could do anything."

Ichiru laughed, "You too? Don't tell me Nii-san makes it his life's goal to save people."

Yuki inhaled before replying, "Zero… is a softy."

Zero ground his teeth in the kitchen, His jaw tensed and he released a series of growls, banging cabinets in fake search.

Ichiru was laughing like a fucking hyena at his expense and in return Zero muttered threats under his breath.

He withdrew his senses and eventually relaxed, cooking up a storm as lunch approached.

Yuki skipped into the kitchen when he wasn't looking.

"Ichiru went to unpack his things. What are you cooking?"

Zero scowled at her, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Yuki giggled at his expression and danced in, surveying the pots and pans before squealing and flitting back upstairs.

Ichiru crawled back as lunch was ready and they all ate while Cross continued to get on his _goddamn last nerve_.

"Cross." He interrupted as the man swallowed, ending his sentence before bolting from the room in fear.

Zero sighed.

At least _someone_ had the good sense to be afraid of him.

Really, what could a bad guy do to get his daily dose of fear around here?

Ichiru and Yuki cleaned up the kitchen and he finished up a bit of homework before he knew the elder Kuran was bound to come around- if only to check on Yuki.

By the time the pureblood had arrived they were all lounging in the den, Yuki laying upside down from a chair and Ichiru laying out on the couch with his head in Zero's lap.

He ran his hand through Ichiru's hair, lost in thought before the doorbell rang and Yuki squealed, flipping off the chair and running to the front door.

Zero withdrew his hand and sighed.

Soon enough Kuran walked into the room, his eyes barely widening, but enough so that Zero noticed.

He didn't expect he and Ichiru to have made up so soon.

Fuck, rookie mistake numero tres.

If he fucked up again he might as well confess all that he was.

Actually… that didn't sound quite so bad.

It might win the pureblood over in fact- if not that then he would no doubt wish to ally himself with Zero.

Zero kept startlingly quiet as Kaname and Yuki talked, eventually resuming his petting of his brother, his mind wandering once more.

 _A loving caress, a brief flicker of happiness, a gaze full of fear._

 _His prey trembled before him and he licked his lips in anticipation._

While he had zoned out both Yuki and Ichiru had fallen asleep, leaving only Zero and Kaname truly present in the room.

Zero came back to himself and found Kaname staring at him.

He smirked, "See something you like, Kuran?"

"And if I do?"

Zero leaned back against the couch, "Then we have something to talk about."

Kaname glanced out the window before glancing back at him, "Want to go for a walk?"

Zero shrugged, "Sure."

He slid Ichiru's head out of his lap and stood, walking through the kitchen to the back door.

He felt Kaname follow him and they left the small house and they took to the forest, walking slowly as a pleasant breeze danced around them.

They were silent for quite some time, neither of them glancing at the other.

"As I've been here I've come to know a couple things," Zero said, "And yet I still have some questions for you."

Kuran barely glanced at him, "And they are?"

Zero smirked, "Well, for one, why an ancestor would create an elaborate scheme involving some child hunter as an integral part."

He saw the pureblood tense slightly out of the corner of his eyes and prepared himself just as the vampire darted forward to pin him against a tree. He dodged the male's hold and appeared several feet behind him.

"Did I strike a nerve, Kuran?"

He could see the unspoken question in the other's wine colored eyes.

 _How?_

"You are not the only one who is not how they appear to be."

Kaname's eyes narrowed near imperceptively but he did not speak.

Zero chuckled, "You know, if you want answers to your questions you're going to actually have to ask."

"You think you know me so well, Kiryu?"

Zero shook his head, "No. As I have already stated, I have some questions for you too."

Zero glanced away for a moment and suddenly found himself caged.

The taller male pinned him and ran his nose along the silverette's throat, making the hunter shiver.

"And here I thought you had something more alluring in mind."

Zero laughed lowly, "Who says we can't do both?"

Kaname ran a single canine over his neck, drawing blood from the near-useless tattoo.

He licked it up with a slow flick of his tongue and Zero released a slow breath.

" _What are you?"_

"I wish I knew that myself." Zero sighed, his own canines sharpening beneath his tongue as he took in the pureblood's scent.

Dark cherry and warm coffee.

Something within the hunter near purred in excitement.

He didn't even flinch when he felt the other male latch onto his own throat, drawing a moan from him.

Kuran kept his hold in his wrists, bracing them even with his head to keep him from interfering.

When he pulled back and caught sight of the supposed level-D he didn't seem aware of his own breath catching as both of their eyes glowed crimson as they stared silently at one another.

A moment passed.

Then another.

And then they attacked one another in a blur of movements, their lips warring against the other's, their tongues battling for dominance.

Kuran released his wrists and Zero ran his fingers through red-brown hair, pulling him closer as the pureblood gripped him by the legs, wrapping them around his waist.

Within a breath, Zero found his aura being urged open by the purebloods and soon enough they both allowed their's free, if only for a few moments.

And oh, how utterly astonishing it was to be allowed such freedom once more.

His aura stretched far and wide, embracing Kuran's own and for a brief few seconds their hearts beat as one, their breathing aligned as they continued to kiss, Kaname's fingers dancing up his thighs to claw into Zero's hips.

His aura was perhaps the only one Zero had not unintentionally crushed with his own in over a thousand years- no, the pureblood could stand with him even, his own power managing to roughly leash Zero's own, but not near enough to ever truly force him to do his bidding.

But Zero would take it- he knew in that moment that he might never come across someone so closely related to him in level of power again.

So it should surprise exactly no one that they ended up fucking in the middle of the woods like human teenagers.

In fact, even after, Zero knew he would not come to regret it.

But he would take note that next time needed to be in a bed because fucking hell, the wooden splinters he had were ungodly.


	4. Wicked Ones

**_A/N: Hey ya'll! Here's the next chapter of The Devil. Thank you to everyone who has replied to this story, it really makes me happy :). Enjoy :)_**

* * *

The next evening found Zero lying naked next to the pureblooded ancestor in said pureblooded ancestor's bed, the sheets just barely conserving any modesty- but let's be honest- he left modesty behind after his first thousand years.

He was the first one awake- apparently _someone_ needed their beauty rest after _someone else_ decided to latch onto the former someone's throat, not once mind you, but several times over the night.

A smirk played along the lines of his lips at the pleasant flashbacks- Zero could almost taste the power behind the ancestor's blood atop his lips even hours after.

He sat up with a stretch and his eyes closed in satisfaction as several joints popped.

Sighing, he scanned the room for his clothes, an eyebrow cocking when he eyed the tattered remains of his shirt in the corner- the buttons scattered like stray bullet casings against the cool hardwoods.

He ripped the sheets away from his form and stood with barely a care, collecting the mass of torn fabric off the floor and holding it up to inspect.

After a moment he sighed and tossed it back upon the ground.

At least it wasn't another ruined uniform- that would certainly have been fun to explain to Cross.

Kaname began to shuffle in the bed as he came awake as Zero went snooping in the pureblood's drawers for a pair of pants.

No doubt the ancestor would like to discuss the new developments to his plan that Zero posed.

With a cry of victory that finally awakened the brunet on the bed, Zero located a pair of sweatpants- quite possibly the only pair that Kuran owned.

"Find something you like?" Kaname drawled, a teasing note making an appearance in his voice.

Zero rolled his eyes, "Oh, absolutely."

He slid the pants on as Kuran stood, making his way over to the closet to donn actual clothes- how droll- Zero making sure to memorize the sight of the ancestor's oh-so-perfect ass.

Kuran caught him a moment later and Zero rolled his eyes at the amusement present in the other's wine colored orbs.

When the taller male had dressed and had handed the silverette a violet silk button up to put on (which Zero did with a surplus of attitude, of course) they headed into the connecting study, each taking a glass of brandy (Zero taking two, knowing he was certainly going to need more than that).

Kaname sat back onto a leather chair beside the fireplace whereas Zero chose to perch himself on the companion leather couch in front of the flames (beside the table where the soon-to-be-empty brandy decanter lay.

"So, Kiryu… tell me, _what are you?_ "

Zero sighed, "Do you really want to know?"

The fire popped and crackled and Kaname did not ask him to continue- they both knew Zero would not have stayed had he not been prepared for Kaname to ask questions.

Zero blew out a breath, but his lips became slightly upturned at the edges.

"Well… I was human for a time-until the Shizuka incident. Before I was living as a human… I think the closest thing that's ever been right was when I was called a yokai- though I consider myself more of a spirit in all honesty. Ichiru asked me if I was a god when I revealed myself to him when we were children."

"What did you reply?"

Zero rolled his eyes, but his smirk deepened.

"That I was the closest thing I had ever met to a god- that I had never met someone who was my technical equal. Only my creator had ever surpassed me and I don't know where the fuck Krowe is at to even bother asking about my creation. Let alone Krowe's idea as to what I might be."

Kaname cocked a brow when Zero glanced at him from the corner of his eyes as he downed his second brandy.

He quickly refilled it, "Next question."

"How old are you then?"

Zero laughed, "Seventeen."

He paused, "All joking aside- I stopped counting somewhere around twelve thousand years. I vaguely recall the Climate Change- which would make me even older- but I don't like counting that since I was so young I can barely remember when it took place or how old I was when it did."

Kuran looked shocked- or as shocked as he ever looked- but Zero quickly glanced away, already sensing his next question.

"Do you remember what everything was like before?"

Zero shrugged, "A bit- well, enough to tell what the ramifications of the climate change were. I remember the Last Race sorta. But I hadn't really met anyone then- I'd only seen them from afar.

The Last Race being the known race of humanity before the Climate Change, that is.

They had been varied and from what he had seen- very conscious of their world shifting before their eyes. They had tried all manner of measures to prevent it- but of course they had failed.

One of their failures had even resulted in the creation of the original vampires.

Not the Ancestor's mind you- the original race had been crazed and near immediately put down- but the scientists that had developed them had kept samples of their blood and discovered it could cure any manner of illness in humans.

Then the Climate Change had happened and most all the Last Race had been wiped out, leaving only the peoples who had first consumed that blood alive.

They had gone on to sire children- leading to the current race of humans that lived now.

But the Ancestor's had first appeared almost a thousand years after the deaths of those original vampires and even Zero didn't know how they had appeared- how they originated.

If anyone could say it probably would have been Krowe- indeed, Zero would bet anything Krowe was directly involved- but Zero hadn't seen Krowe in over three thousand years and figured he wasn't going to anytime soon either.

Maybe the old bastard had finally died- one could only hope.

Zero glanced back at Kuran to see the brunet's brows slightly rumpled in thought.

The silverette could guess as to why- he no doubt seemed a brilliant discovery- after all, it wasn't often people as old as he was were met.

Zero downed another glass of brandy, pleasant warmth filling his body and lowering his inhibitions (a voice that sounded suspiciously like Ichiru snarked that they were already low enough in the older silverette's mind).

"So what was the Climate Change, if you claim to be that old?"

"Oh easy- it was of course the earth striking back only it didn't wipe out everything so it was more like the earth was set back thousands of years timeline wise. Only with the addition of vampires. The only way I know that is because we're getting close to living quality that the Last Race had before they perished."

"But anyway..." Zero drawled, "I thought you wanted to know about _me_."

It knocked Kuran out of his tizzy and Zero grinned, sipping his glass.

They were silent for a moment, all except the clinking of their glasses as Kuran slowly refilled his own (Zero was winning at 4:2 by the way) and the popping of embers in the fireplace.

Kaname took a drink from his glass, his face still and free from expression.

But when he glanced at Zero his eyes held a warmer emotion beneath the surface- an unnamed emotion that compelled Zero to lean forward with a wry grin.

"Why would a twelve thousand year old spirit choose to insert himself into the lives of a hunter clan?"

Zero leaned back, "Firstly because they are my descendents (which we both know certainly makes things easier) and secondly because… the stirring is at hand."

"'Stirring'?"

Zero nodded, "I take it you've never heard of it."

"No, I haven't."

Zero shrugged, "It's meaningless for physical beings like vampires or humans- but spirits thrive during the stirring periods, which only usually last for a decade every other century."

Kaname cocked a brow, "Indulge me, Kiryu. What is 'the Stirring'?"

Zero grinned, "Fun times."

"Fun times, that's it?"

Zero rolled his eyes, "The Stirring is many things- usually a rise in the creation of new spirits- spirit breeding season, essentially. But among other things the Stirring empowers elder spirits and grants new powers and abilities to spirits in general. It's also when it's most likely for humans to spot hidden spirits and attract a mate, etc…"

He trailed off with a wave of his hand.

"Spirits produce children?"

"Yeah, occasionally. It's how I created the Kiryu line- I produced three half-blooded sons with a vampiress and they each married…" He trailed off once more.

Kuran cocked a brow, "When?"

Zero blew out a breath, "Gotta be three thousand years ago now- my hunter line is the longest surviving. Well, until recently anyway."

He sent a pointed look at the pureblood.

"But your children were vampire born…"

Zero shrugged, "One of them swore off their vampire blood and became a hunter and married a pureblooded hunter female. Of the other two- the elder married another Noble vampire and produced only female children, the younger was killed by a high-aiming hunter. His new wife killed the hunter and the hunter's family as vengeance."

He cocked a brow of his own as if to say 'ironic, right?'

He downed the rest of his drink and refilled it once more before downing it completely.

 _Shit that's nice. Drunk before breakfast/dinner. I should do this more often._

A loopy smile came over his face and it didn't even bother him when Kuran rolled his eyes at him.

"You're a lightweight."

"No, I just don't usually get drunk on vampire grade shit. On human brandy it takes me at least a whole bottle to get wasted."

They went silent and Zero leaned back and closed his eyes.

The cushion beside him pressed down as a Kuran leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I don't suppose you have any spiritual gifts that you can use in the bedroom?"

Zero peeked through one narrowed eye, "Maybe…"

Kuran's warm breath fanned across his throat, his lips a hair's breadth from his goosebumped flesh.

"No one will disturb us till mid meal."

Zero smirked, "I'm sure I can think of something to distract us both then…"

He spared a bit of the power he'd gained from the ancestor's blood- his features softening, his hair growing longer, his frame shifting to that a woman's.

Kuran chuckled in his ear and Zero felt the shirt he wore get ripped away beneath the pureblood's sharp claws.

Soon followed by those hard found sweatpants.

Zero whimpered and Kuran laughed.

 _The bastard_.

With vengeance in mind Zero clawed off the ancestor's shirt as well, climbing into his warm arms- arms that gripped the silverette tight, the brunet's nails drawing blood and igniting the supposed level-D's lust like a lit match to gasoline.

Zero wrapped his hands through the pureblood's thick waves, locking lips and battling with the brunet for dominance.

A bang sounded as Kuran flitted back into the bedroom with the naked silverette still in his arms, the door closing with another bang as he dropped the silver haired level-D on the bed.

Zero felt his lips curl into a pout and the distinct weight of breasts bounce on his chest as he settled back onto the bed.

"I think I like this particular gift of yours." Kaname drawled, sinking a knee down on the edge of the bed and forcing Zero to fall back against the mattress to make room for him.

"I thought you might." Zero confessed and latched a hand on the male's neck, drawing him closer to kiss once again.

Kuran won quickly in the battle for dominance and Zero loved every second of it, unleashing his aura partially to reveal his pleasure at their current tangle of forms.

Kaname ran his hands along Zero's waist, teasing his erect nipples with his fingertips before ripped his lips from the silverette's own in favor of moving them southward to nip and lick the red tips of his current form's breasts.

The silver haired ex-hunter moaned and allowed his head to fall back onto the pillows as Kuran's hands crawled even lower, caressing his heated skin with a whisper's touch.

Zero tensed when he felt the vampire touch his heated thighs, quickly recalling why he had loved shapeshifting into a woman.

 _Multiple orgasms- fucking yes, please._

Kaname's fingers probed the delicate folds, Zero's own hand creeping down to meet him.

Kuran didn't allow it though and quickly caged both of the silverette's hands above his head.

"I don't think so…" He murmured and Zero moaned as he teased the hard bud of his form's clitoris.

With a few strokes Zero was languid with his breaths coming in hard pants.

Kuran entered him then with two fingers, testing the waters.

"Just fuck me!" Zero snarked and Kaname rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want me… here?"

'Here' being Kaname's head perched between his thighs, warm breath teasing his heated sex.

"On sec-on-d-d thought…" Zero stuttered out as the brunet's tongue struck out and licked the sensitive bud of nerves.

Zero's hands entangled themselves in Kaname's hair and the silverette moaned- not even questioning when Kuran had let go of his wrists.

His body felt lit alight with flames of lust and his heart raced as he came underneath the ancestor's ministrations.

"Ok-k-k, now would you fuck me?"

"Impatient," Kuran fucking tsked and Zero pouted like the twelve thousand year old child that he was.

That pout disappeared in the blink of an eye and he whimpered when suddenly Kuran was back at his entrance, aligning their hips with barely a moment's hesitance before he entered and stretched Zero's sex open.

"Fuck!"

Bet you can guess who that came from.

Kuran chuckled and balanced himself on a hand over Zero's shoulder before he began to thrust slowly- too slowly.

"Faster!" Zero pled and Kaname began to pick up speed- going harder as well.

 _Oh fuck me- he's good._

Zero moaned, his hands clawing onto the pureblood's sides before creeping to his back, the scent of his powerful blood filling the air.

He needed it- needed to taste Kaname's blood on his lips.

One of his hands crept around and up to encompass the other's neck, pulling him down to kiss with sharp teeth.

Zero could hear Kaname groan almost from an afar as he nipped the brunet's lips till they bled.

 _Dark wine, brandy, cherries, and a hint of dark coffee._

Zero moaned and Kaname gave a harsh thrust before he readjusted them to where Zero was sitting up in his arms, his knees braced on either side of Kuran's own, virtually sitting atop the ancestor's lap.

Zero became more active in this position, grinding himself atop the other, driving Kuran's cock deeper than ever before as the pureblood continued to thrust himself into the silverette.

"I'm going t-to- fuck!" Zero moaned and he felt Kaname kiss along his neck before piercing the delicate skin with sharp fangs, spurring the silverette to orgasm.

Kuran did not cease his thrusts however and it only drove Zero's orgasm to new heights and to last longer.

Zero sank his teeth into the pureblood's throat as well and barely noticed as his partner came inside him- too entranced by the song of Kuran's blood on his tongue.

In fact it was only when Kuran pulled away and merely licked at Zero's closing wound did Zero pull back and lick the ancestor's own injury clean.

Zero still gripped him tight as he rode aftershocks, his hips still grinding back against Kuran's own.

Zero glanced at Kuran's face to see his wine gaze fixed on Zero's own eyes.

Something glittered beneath the surface, pulling Zero to kiss the pureblood.

Kaname let out a growl at their combined taste and Zero near purred with excitement as they settled in for another round.

* * *

 ** _A/N: As always, leave any questions/inquiries in the reviews and I'll reply as soon as I receive them! Please PLEASE please FOLLOW and (!) REVIEW (!). Here are my questions for ya'll this chapter:_** _What side conflicts do you want me to keep from canon? Do ya'll want me to add in a major conflict of my own (feel free to leave suggestions)?_ ** _Let me know in the reviews! Thanks for reading :)_**


	5. Rehab

_**A/N: Hi all! I decided to post before 5am- I should not be as proud of myself as I currently am for that btw. Lol. Anyway, please tell me what you think below! Also, I recently created a few more playlists for my stories- they can all be found linked on my profile page (Or in the summary if you're reading on Wattpad or AO3)! Enjoy :)**_

* * *

"That's right, Nii-san! You beat that meat!" Ichiru chortled as he ghosted into the kitchen with his arms full of textbooks and other assorted school supplies.

Zero didn't bother to spare him a glance- only glancing away from his task of tenderizing the meat for dinner when Yuki skipped into the room, plopping herself up on the counter.

She giggled at Ichiru's words, her hands toying with the prefect armband she was supposed to wear on her arm.

Eh, they had two and a half hours before they were supposed to report for duty at the Night Dorm gates, so he left her alone- until she attempted to dip a finger in the bowl of chocolate cake batter- the spirit smacked her hand away with barely a care.

"Hey!"

He flashed her his teeth and Ichiru called her away to the table where he would be tutoring her- he was the one who hadn't been in school for near a decade and _she_ was the one that needed to be tutored?

"I don't know why you're bothering, Ru." He teased and Yuki pouted as she sat down beside the younger brother.

"And turn down an opportunity to spend time with a pretty lady? I think not."

His twins words made Yuki's face light up with a cherry tomato blush and she sputtered helplessly- just as Ichiru had intended.

He threw a wooden spoon at his brother and it went sailing through the air to smack the younger male in the center of his forehead, "Making her embarass herself is my job, asshole!"

Ichiru pouted, "You ruin all of my fun."

Zero smirked at his brother and the oven timer went off, a shrill beeping breaking through the air to remind him to take the cookies out of the oven.

"Is that?" Ichiru began.

"Mmmm…. Gingerbread cookies!" Yuki finished, bolting over to preen over the hot cookie sheet as he placed it atop the stove to cool.

He rolled his eyes at the pair's antics, "Wait at least two minutes or know the sting of bitter betrayal- you will only end up with a burnt tongue."

They both pouted at him and he smacked each of them back in the direction of the kitchen table as he continued to cook up a storm- Kaname would be joining them for dinner and as was the tradition on Friday evenings- he was the one cooking as they all wanted to keep up the guise of civil manners, and it was impossible to do that if you were too busy choking on the Chairman's… somewhat edible science experiments.

He disregarded the room's two other occupants and ghosted about- a tempest of delightful scents flooding the air as he flitted in circles and hourglass eights between the island, the stove, the sink, and the oven.

A doorbell screeching stirred him from his mindless dance about the kitchen and he could only hear an excited squeal as Yuki rushed to answer the door, slamming the kitchen door with the high levels of joy leaving her at exponential rates.

"I almost feel sorry for her," Ichiru sighed, "You're rough competition, Nii-san."

"Don't sulk, Ru. You'll get premature wrinkles if you worry over her not tripping over herself to go down on you in the shower." Zero teased and Ichiru blushed.

"You heard me in the shower again, didn't you?"

"Mmhmm." Zero hummed, "Now help me plate the food and serve it. Yuki will be too busy making a fool of herself."

"I hate you." Ichiru said, sliding to his feet to help.

"Eh, eh, eh. You don't hate me enough to leave without eating."

"Fair."

* * *

The dinner passed with little pain involved- well, outside of Kaien's prattling and Yuki's foolishness, or Ichiru making doe-eyes at the petite brunette instead of actually interacting at all.

Yes, his brother was a little creepy whenever he got obsessed with his crush- but Zero wasn't going to judge.

The fucker had gone through puberty surrounded only with a fragile noble vampire and mad pureblood vampire for company, after all. He was allowed to be a little creepy occasionally.

Besides, Yuki was too daft to notice- and Kaname was too smart to seem annoyed by it while Zero was at the table.

Kaien cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen, leaving the four teenagers to socialize in the living room with the television on full blare (to prevent Kaien from recording them again for his private home movie collection).

Shit, its bad when the only normie in this coked out family is the pureblooded vampire.

Zero grimaced to himself at the thought, flashing his teeth at Kuran when he felt the ancestor glance at him.

The clock struck the hour of change over and the group dissolved, the twins donning their armbands, Yuki righting her own as she flitted out first followed by Kuran and then the pair of brothers.

Yuki darted ahead as the screeching of the Day Class stragled up to their ears, followed by Ichiru, leaving the pureblood and Zero alone, neither of them exactly 'eager' to get involved.

"For Fuck's sake!" Zero exclaimed as they came across the scene to find Yuki being trampled by her side of the line, Kuran's Inner Circle cornered by the unruly Day Class while Ichiru's side was too busy huddled around him, fawning over the younger Kiryu as he made short work of charming them.

"Get back in line!" Zero growled out through clenched teeth and the Day Class stilled (near comically so), most of them swallowing in anticipation at the sheer number of detentions about fifty percent of them were fated to receive from the dreaded prefect.

"Oh, don't mind him, ladies! Kiryu-kun won't get to trample our fun, will he?" Aido egged on, but the girls had haphazardly gathered their wits about them, taping them together with a hefty amount of what could be considered super-strength glue (aka, that little quality called restraint).

" _Idol-senpai..."_ Zero growled, but the blond didn't pay him any mind.

"C'mon… Jen-gina-Jenny…" He attempted to bolster.

"My name is Aime." The girl snorted, thoroughly put out for the evening.

The blond continued on unhindered for a solid minute (causing a darkening of the aura of the moodier elder Kiryu) until a calm voice chided him into submission (aka, made him nearly piss himself in fear as the aura belonging to the owner of said calm voice bore down upon him and the rest of the Night Class).

"Aido."

From then on, everything went down as normal- detention notices were assigned (about three dozen of them), Ichiru made short work of soothing his brother- which Yuki quickly undid as she prodded him for 'taking his time' ("You didn't chide Kuran like a child you little-!") and _eventually_ , the Night Class was escorted to the school (but only after they learned some positively primeval pieces of unbroken profanity).

Zero took a deep breath as he abandoned the roof of the science building, Kuran's amusement at the display he put on during cross-over still not diserting his senses thanks to the partially formed bond.

A bond he knew would be completed soon- he just didn't know if he was ready for it.

But that was a conversation for another time as he sensed a dozen or so level-Bs and Cs draw near the Academy.

He swore and sent Ichiru a message to keep Yuki away as he approached the group at a run, skidding to a stop near a clearing just surrounding the broken fence line.

They wore hoods bearing crests of the eight family lines that made up the Vampire Council and he wasted no time in demanding why and for what business had they arrived.

"We have been chosen to act as emissaries- tasked with the slaying of the one who killed Hio Shizuka."

"Why?" He egged on, "Did the Council just want an excuse to interfere in Academy business? Everyone knows the Council doesn't give a rat's ass what happens to the purebloods that act without their blessing."

The largest replied, "We act upon the orders we receive. We are here to execute Kiryu Zero."

Zero chuckled and gestured to himself with a hand, "Well here I am! Go for it, assholes!"

He frowned briefly, sensing Yuki and Ichiru draw closer, the Night Class behind them.

 _Fuck you, Ichiru. You had ONE job._

The enemy vampires stilled, primed to begin the fight the silverette posed- but said silverette was not too willing to keep it going long enough for his brother and adoptive sister to get wrapped up in it, instead throwing up a hand, snapping his forefinger along his collar as he summoned a piece of his unused power to his command.

The vampires collapsed to the ground in a series of gasps, each of them choking on their breath as their air was cut off and a force of unreasonable power was pressed down atop their chests, in effect passing a sentence of death via pressing on them all.

Zero grimaced as he sensed Yuki break through the trees behind him, capturing the spectacle just as each of the low level vampires collapsed in on themselves, leaving only a fog of ash behind in the clearing's air.

"Zero? Ar-are y-you- did you do that?" She sputtered, and he sensed Ichiru appear panting behind her.

"Yuki! I said slow down!" The frailer sibling chided- Zero would have to feed him his blood later in the evening if he was near having an asthma attack.

Zero glanced away from the fogged fence and turned around to face the two of them.

Ichiru was keeled over, his breath leaving him in harsh pants, he fell back to sit on the grass to calm his heartbeat.

Zero approached the two, giving Yuki a pointed look.

"I'll explain everything later. Help me by getting Ichiru back to the house. I have to deal with explaining the situation to Kuran."

"Zero!" She called back as he took off once more after briefly checking on his twin.

Ichiru waved it off and Zero knew he had to prepare himself for the shitstorm of questions that was bound to be awaiting him when he got back to Cross' after sending the Night Class back to the Dorm.

* * *

"So you're an immortal being of uncertain origins-most similar to a yokai- no, spirit and you've been living a life as a level-D bitten hunter, superminding the whole situation with Mar- Shizuka-hime, I mean…" Yuki trailed off, her eyes wide with the new information as Zero teased his fingers through Ichiru's hair- his younger brother lightly dozing as his body rushed to accept the provided nourishment (aka Zero's oh-so-special blood).

"Yeah, that's about right."

She swallowed, "Well…. Alright, I guess."

Zero cocked a brow and she sighed, "You are still my brother, nothing will change that, Zero."

He nodded, but his mind was in a tizzy at her acceptance of him- logically, he knew it was within her character, but keep in mind- he had just copped to orchestrating his beloved 'parents' demise, not to mention he had just admitted to being capable of killing anyone he came across except for maybe one other being?

How was she not freaking the fuck out?

 _Damn, maybe she and Ichiru are meant for each other after all- but I'm gonna need a lot of help to navigate their combined stupidity in the future…. For fuck's sake, I need to go take a nap, I'm getting a fucking headache just thinking about it all._

He sighed, finally grasping the fact that his unasked for family was getting larger with her true addition tonight.

"Whatever, I'm gonna go pass out in the living room- you make sure Ichiru doesn't do something stupid and fuck himself up even worse."

"T-thanks, Nii-san…" Ichiru chortled and Zero waved him off, closing the door behind himself as he stepped out into the hallway.

He didn't leave- why? He wanted to eavesdrop that's why.

Hey, he was immortal and _you_ try being immortal without developing a dear love for all things drama!

He debated getting popcorn, but his mind was changed when it didn't take long for the two to begin to speak.

"I think you've begun to burrow your way into his frigid heart, Yuki-chan." Ichiru coughed and she stuttered in reply- more of a sound than a reply to his words.

Ichiru continued.

"You know… when I was a kid and he explained everything to me I was shocked too. I didn't know what to believe from him anymore- he was- has always been- my only reason to keep going. He always pushed me to fight harder, fight longer- always said to me after practice with Yagari-sensei that I _could_ achieve those things they wanted me to despite what Kaito said and Yagari-sensei knew but left unsaid, or what our... parents thought.

"He… believed in me and when he told me everything, I was scouring my memories for everything he had ever said to me- like it would somehow prove that he was lying about himself, or... that he was lying when he said he believed in me.

"I snapped out of it when I realized that… well- he's like a god, right? Or something like it, something with powers way beyond itself at least…"

He paused, and Zero couldn't hear anything beside their breathing.

"Why would he lie to me if he told me the truth? Why would he have wasted his time on someone who was worthless? It didn't make any sense…

Ichiru sighed, "He will always be my brother- will always be my other half, and I know that whenever I fuck up, somehow, for some reason- he'll still be there."

"Ichiru-kun," Yuki breathed

Ichiru coughed once more, "I suppose I sound sappy."

"No, I think it's sweet." Yuki sighed, and Zero could hear the fond smile that he had no doubt was pasted on her features.

Ichiru had scored himself points- with the both of them, that sly fucker.

He probably knew Zero was eavesdropping too.

Zero chuckled quietly as he leaned against the down the hall from the pair- out of their human earshots.

"Yu-yuki-chan?" Ichiru stuttered a bit and a smirk appeared on the elder Kiryu's face.

"Yes, Ichiru-kun?"

"Will you go out with me? I mean, like only if you uh- want to- with me right, but like only if you're comfortable with it- I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything…" Ichiru sputtered and Zero bit his lip to keep from snickering.

He turned on his heel and headed to the living room, leaving the pair to sputter in circles around one another.

Sleep was calling his name- and god help whoever woke him up in the morning.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thanks for reading! Be sure to tell me what you think in the comments/reviews, or you can also ask a question and I'll PM you the answer as long as it isn't too spoilery. Questions for ya'll this chapter-** How do you feel about the comedy in this chapter (and yes, there was a masturbation joke- a bit edgy I know lmao- *cringe*) Also, what do you think of Zero's power he shows in this chapter? What do you think should limit his abilities? (He's already in for a rude awakening when he gets knocked up). Let me know below! **Be sure to check in next week for the next chapter!**_


	6. Only If For A Night

_**A/N: Here is the sixth chapter of The Devil! I am going to be focusing on this story writing wise until I fully write out what I have outlined. I will probably post 1-2 times a week for this story, as I am currently daily posting Heartless (A new femZero story of mine, if ya'll like gender-benders, check it out!). Basically, I'm posting once a day and it will usually be Heartless as I'll probably post The Devil's next chapters as I complete them. Please tell me what you think of this chapter and this story as a whole, and I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

Half the week passed uneventfully and not quite much had happened to disturb the Academy's residents. Kuran had been incensed upon hearing that the Council had deigned to interfere in what he claimed was his 'territory'- possessive prat that he was- without his knowledge, and he was even ticked off with Zero for killing them all virtually on sight. So essentially he had spent half a week in the doghouse so to speak and he was _not_ happy about that in the least.

He had _needs_ , goddammit!

But instead of going into town to pick up someone(s) to fuck away the horny he was instead marching into the clinic where he had been summoned by the Nurse to talk to Kurenai Maria. The Nurse complained that the petite noble vampire was insane and should be transported to the nearest mental hospital but Ichiru had fervently denied anything of that sort so while his twin was busy calling all her relatives or whatever he was going to meet with the girl herself.

Knocking on the door but not waiting for any welcome, he entered and greeted the cranky Nurse with a raised brow as she immediately hopped to bitching about the 'psychotic brat' who kept going on and on about her hallucinations.

Zero stilled at the complaint, his expression turning to one of curiosity as he demanded the Nurse explain.

She shrugged, "The brat hasn't shut up about some broad she dreamed up. Says the broad won't stop singing or some shit."

He waved her off and followed his senses to Maria's room, sneering when he heard the Nurse mutter about how she hated her job and all the 'brats' she had to put up with.

Bitter mortals could be fun at times, but he had no patience for the Nurse- hadn't since she had 'fixed' his fractured leg by breaking it in two his first year at the Academy.

He still harbored the desire to end her miserable existence, but she was unfortunately the only human nurse they had been able to find that could deal with vampire anatomy no problem as well.

But one day he had no doubt he would snap.

Pausing outside Maria's room, he blew out a breath and calmed his mind, pasting on a an expressionless mask to deal with the ill vampiress.

He knocked, waiting for a moment and then entering the small room where Maria was well-settled.

The room was neat and bare of almost all personality- grey painted walls and white and grey speckled linoleum tile floors- minimal furniture and mass-produced art taking up the allotted space without a single touch of warmth or welcome to brighten the senses of whoever was unfortunate enough to become sequestered here.

His eyes quickly spotted Maria sitting up in bed, her delicate form covered to the hip with heavy blankets that he was sure would irritate his skin should he touch them. She wore a thick white robe and a blush colored silk nightshirt, her fingers toying with the robe's ties in her lap, her hair hanging in tangles to enshroud her face in thick shadows.

She looked up from her hands, frowning, "You're not Ichiru."

Zero shook his head, "No. I'm his brother."

"She said Ichiru didn't have a brother."

"Shizuka?" He asked and she shook her head, "No…"

She glanced back down at her hands and he stepped closer, sensing another presence draw near the room but quickly ignoring it once he sensed the familiar train of thoughts.

Aido-senpai.

"Who, Maria-san?" He urged and took the chair that sat in the corner and sat down beside the bed.

Her face was thinner than before, her skin slightly grey-tinged, her eyes flat as if all that she had been was gone.

No, maybe she hadn't had anything to begin with- he had only seen her while Shizuka took up host in her body after all.

"The woman in white." She sighed, "Her name is Lily. She comes to me when I sleep. Says I can help her if I stay at the school. Says she wants to know everything to do with Kuran-sama."

He leaned back, "What is she?"

Maria blinked, her eyes slightly glazed, "She is a pureblood- but I think she's more than that. I think she's an ancestor."

"Why?"

Maria shrugged, her fingers twirling the white terry tie into a tangle.

"She feels more powerful than a normal pureblood and sounds older… She talks in more formal, flowery sentences- only old purebloods talk like that."

Her eyes became glazed once more and she leans further back onto the headboard for support, her fingers slowing in their movements.

She sighed softly.

He said nothing and waited for her to either fall asleep or continue and continue she did after another few moments.

"She calls all of us puppets… says she is our true master. Our true Queen. That she will play the grand game with Kuran Kaname as she had before but this time she'll win…"

Maria sighed once more and began to nod off before passing out completely.

"Aido-senpai." Zero called, "Be sure to tell Kuran everything you just heard. He'll want to know about this no doubt."

Aido grumbled about not being his slave but still rushed to do Zero's bidding anyway.

Zero sighed and stood, placing the chair back in its place before leaving the clinic and heading for the main house to talk with Ichiru about the vampiress he had just finished seeing.

His thoughts remained focused on Kurenai's words- the woman in white was another enemy, another player on the field and he had to think long and hard on who she was. He got the feeling Kaname would know about her if she had such a vendetta against him and he wondered who the female must have been to him for them to grow attached to one another enough for the separation to garner the female's hatred of him.

He had never heard of an ancestor named Lily, so there was only so much he could assess at this point. Begrudgingly, he laid aside that train of thought and focused on what the night still had in store for him.

* * *

Turns out the night had him being his adoptive sister's confidant in store for him and oddly enough, he wasn't too put off about that.

He and Ichiru had discussed what to do with Kurenai and he certainly was not going to let her remain at the Academy as a spy for whoever this Lily woman was and he didn't trust her to not fall victim to a pureblood's command if she refused to cooperate with the new adversary of theirs.

Ichiru had agreed and made the contact with her family to have her sent home by the weekend and so after that was laid aside, the twins spent a few hours training together- Zero determined to bring his brother as up to speed with hunter training as he could, adding in his own little fighting styles here or there as well.

Ichiru was doing well, but Zero knew he would never be able to be sent on a mission without him as even after a few hours he near passed out from exhaustion. And no, he had _not_ been training him into the ground- okay, maybe he had, but it wasn't _that_ bad.

And it wasn't as if he wasn't taking special care to correct Ichiru's form every other moment, teaching him the proper stances to withstand strong hits and yet be agile enough to avoid most of it.

His brother would have to be quick primarily- because of his weaker constitution he was left with frailer bones prone to breaks and skin prone to painful bruising so he would have to take special care to build his speed up so he could avoid most hits.

Not to say there wouldn't be other changes- Zero had already ordered supplements to help build muscle and bone health as well as strengthen the immune system. Some Ichiru had been on as a child, others Zero used himself and a few that were given to young hunters to make them strong enough to face level Es on their first hunts.

He had also scheduled appointments with several doctors to keep his twin in working order (which had led Ichiru to yell at him about it all- "Your so _fucking_ controlling, Nii!"- and Zero had since shrugged off). He knew he couldn't be there at all times to protect Ichiru, so he would be damned if he gave him anything less than the best chance to stand up to at least two Nobles at once.

But anyway, now he sat in the living room of the Headmaster's house, Yuki sprawled across the couch with her legs in his lap as he paged through a well-worn mass market paperback novel.

"I don't feel good anymore," Yuki said after a few moments of silence, "I keep having these dreams- no, night terrors…"

He dog-eared his page and dropped his book onto the side table, glancing at her in concern- was her seal breaking? It would be too soon for Kaname to be willing to awaken her but if her seal was breaking on its own perhaps they would be forced to, lest it ruin her already fragile mind.

"What do you see in your dreams?" He asked her and she sighed, rubbing her face.

"Blood. Lots of it, coming from everywhere. It just- it overcomes everything and I feel like I'm drowning. I can't get free of it." She whispered, her voice turning rough with unshed tears.

He sighed softly, pushing his hair from his eyes before he pulled her forward, wrapping her in his arms.

She sunk into the warmth he offered with a quiet sob, and he slowly ran a hand over her back in soothing circles.

He didn't exactly understand why he cared to offer her any comfort at all, even if he had accepted her into his family- he wasn't the best at offering comfort, his words too brash and too honest to quell oncoming tides or restless emotion in others.

But still, he offered her silent comfort- his mind shifting from thought to thought, searching for a way for this to all turn out alright even though he didn't have all the variables.

* * *

He met with Kaname a few hours later, after Yuki had been soothed into rest with a glass of warm milk and a deep sleep charm thanks to his hunter training.

He was currently sprawled out like a grade schooler on the pureblood prince's office couch while said pureblood prince worked on finishing up his paperwork for the night.

Zero had, of course, already started drinking and frequently refilled his glass of overpriced bourbon with little celebration, content to wait for his… what was Kuran to him? A boyfriend? Boytoy? Ooh, he liked that term even if it was near comic to describe the ancestor in such a way.

A pleasant buzz made his form feel a bit floaty and he eventually put the glass down in dissatisfaction as Kaname finally finished for the night, coming to sit beside him in a chair.

"Any plans for the break?" Zero asked and Kaname sighed.

"No, but my circle is leaving for the Aido estate tomorrow night. I thought it best to remain to keep a close eye on things."

Zero cocked a brow.

"Aido tell you what Kurenai said?"

"Yes. I cannot recall such a female- though I have not recovered all of my memories so I cannot exactly disprove her existence." Kaname sighed once more, "Female ancestors were tricky and if I was close to her I assume she'd be exceedingly clever to keep my attention. She could prove to be a threat."

Zero nodded, "I thought the same."

They were silent in contemplation once more.

"Yuki's seal is breaking." Zero drawled, retaking his glass and sipping from it as the brunet snapped his head to look at him.

"No."

"Yes." Zero reiterated, his tone crisp and final, leaving no room for argument.

"It's too soon." Kaname said and Zero nodded, "I know."

Zero could see the weight the pureblood carried hang over his shoulders like a dark, forbidding cloud and he found himself wanting to lighten his load or at least make it easier to bear if he was determined to bear it alone.

His silk button up was unbuttoned at the collar and Kaname ran a hand over the back of his neck in tense agitation.

Zero tossed back the rest of his drink and sat up correctly, standing up after a moment and approaching the confused and embrittled ancestor.

He stood in front of him before climbing into his lap, which Kuran allowed with a tired sigh leaving his lips as he relaxed back into the chair.

The silver haired spirit ran a hand over the other male's cheek- a whisper of a caress that drove the pureblood to close his eyes in relaxation.

 _What makes me want to comfort him? Is this how physical beings react when they come to (gag) love someone? Do they feel this heavy obligation to comfort them when life gets to be too rough?_

He could suppose he felt that way for Ichiru- but to feel this way for Yuki or Kaname was baffling for him.

But it was not entirely unwelcome and he leaned forward, crossing the thin distance between them and kissing the ancestor slowly, each caress of his tongue against his partner's soft and languid and a bit lazy.

But Kuran did not for once demand to dominate him, seeming to take enjoyment in the equal reciprocation they shared.

Zero pulled away after a few moments, laying his forehead against the vampire's, his breathing deep but shallow at the same time as thought abandoned him, contentment coiling inside him instead as he felt the pureblood unintentionally wrap his aura around them both, a comforting blanket-like weight that offered comfort even though it was unnecessary for the spirit.

And he enjoyed it, even if it was unneeded.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Questions for ya'll this chapter-** What do you think of this new ancestor, is she a threat or maybe a future ally? How do you like the relationship between Kaname and Zero? What's is your favorite VK character in this story? **Let me know below! :)**_


	7. Pictures of You

**_A/N: Hi all, I'm back with another chapter of The Devil and I definitely had the most fun writing this one out of all the chapters so far (in a loopy haze at 3am, how appropriate). I didn't get that much of a response for the last chapter, so you're getting it at the week mark from the last posting, but thank you to anyone who reviewed or favorited or followed last chapter, I do pay attention to things like that and I really appreciate it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and be sure to tell me what you think of it below! :)_**

The holiday was brief and pleasantly dull and Zero spent most of his time cooking or training Ichiru, more often than he wished also fulfilling his life's _highest aspiration_ as a shoulder to cry on for Yuki who still suffered from rough nightmares that left her scared and desperate for company.

Ichiru had discovered her issue and had taken to the comforting role with vivid excitement- glad that he could offer his crush solace in her most difficult times.

Zero often left on the nights when Yuki huddled with Ichiru, opting instead to ghost over to the virtually empty Night Dorms and annoy the shit out of his (cringe) boy toy (and yes, that was how he referred to Kuran in his head as it brought him endless amusement).

On nights like those he would cook up a storm in the Dorm's gourmet kitchen (a space he had claimed was his _precious_ and if anyone else ventured into it beside him he would slaughter with no regrets. To which Kuran had replied that Zero would do that to anyone anyway, making the silverette pout in agitation even if Kaname was right.) and force Kuran to quit his _fucking_ brooding because dear _God_ could that male brood nights away like no one else.

And Kaname hadn't really done much else beside brood over his plans, even putting off visiting Yuki, which was unlike him and made the violet eyed spirit concerned and when Zero was concerned he either A) cooked a feast or twelve fit for a congregation of Kings, B) Griped at the person making him concerned to quote, 'quit that shit' or C) an unholy combination of both.

Bet you can guess what it was that he did.

Which usually garnered him the response of a rolled eye or much better, the response of being well fucked till midday.

But he had met his match in stubbornness in Kuran Kaname and thus concocted an overly contrived, overly convoluted plan of how to properly stir him from his emo bullshit.

"Kami, how is a cheerio like Takuma friends with a milk dud like you?" He griped, appearing in a haze of mist behind Kaname at his 'that is _mahogany_!' desk in his customary 'kiss the cook' apron, spatula in hand as he smacked the pen in the pureblood's own hand away.

The pureblood did not acknowledge him, simply pulling out a flashier, more expensive pen from his desk.

Zero wondered if he kept smacking pens out of his hand whether he would eventually run out and have to use one of the ultra cheap ultra smooth BIC pens they sold in batches of fifty at grocery stores that Kaien raved about or whether he had an infinite amount of progessively pricier versions of the same quil pen hidden for this exact occasion.

"Don't you dare."

Zero pulled back the spatula, chided successfully by the brunet.

He pouted, but after a moment dropped the expression.

"Come downstairs."

"No."

"No?! What the _fuck?!_ I am a god! You're saying no to a god?!" Zero gaped, raising the spatula once more as if to beat the ever loving shit out of the immortal who dared turn _him_ down!

(He may have been listening to 90's single ladies ballads while cooking. Bitch by Meredith Brooks was his favorite.)

Kaname rolled his eyes, "I thought you were a spirit."

Zero swatted the pen out of his hand again.

Kaname pulled out another even more expensive quill pen.

"Ah, come _on_! I even made a scavenger hunt!"

Kaname looked up at him in mild horror, or the closest his perfect features ever came to the expression anyway (so like, passive surprise on normal people's faces).

"You didn't." Kaname hoped and Zero grinned.

"You'll have to come down to find out."

Kaname turned back to his paperwork, "No."

"Fine. But think of how much chaos there will be in the Dorm when they find all the stolen corpses under their beds and disembodied limbs in their-"

"Zero!" Kaname chided and Zero pouted once more.

"I'll burn the bodies if you come down stairs." He sighed, clearly disappointed.

"And the limbs?"

He frowned, crossing his arms in displeasure, "Fine. I'll burn those too."

Kaname sighed and Zero swatted him on the ass as he stood before poofing away downstairs to welcome Ichiru and Yuki inside. He had even invited Kaien (who he still vowed to kill before he left this body-just you wait) but the ex-hunter had turned him down to annoy the fuck out of Yagari and Kaito, making everyone else sigh in relief.

Ichiru and Yuki coughed through the hazy smoke that still hung in the air from his teleportation (not normally part of teleportation, he just like it for effect sometimes).

"Nii-san, are you alright?" Ichiru asked, stepping inside and laying his hand over Zero's brow, sharply pulling back as if burned a moment later.

"You've got a fever." Ichiru said.

"That explains why I keep hearing you speak with Billy Crystal's voice." Zero drawled, flitting away to the kitchen to get the food out of the oven.

"Is that part of the Stirring?" Yuki asked Ichiru and the younger brother shrugged.

"I-maybe? He got like this a couple weeks before I left with Shizuka. It passed about a day before Shizuka attacked the Kiryu's."

He sighed, his brow furrowed in concern for his older brother, pulling Yuki to sit in the dining room at the only made up table among the dozen that lay within the room.

Kaname appeared in the doorway a moment later and then Zero appeared carrying a covered cake in hand, sitting it down in the center of the large round table, waving his hand over the empty table to summon the food.

It came at his command and he sat, "Serve yourselves whatever."

Yuki and Ichiru were too busy gaping at the table to begin- _who makes this much food for four people?_

"I do. Now quit your gaping. You both look like blowfish."

Kaname sighed, "Is there even any food left to be cooked for when the others return?"

"No. No there isn't." Zero drawled, "You've made me very anxious with your Edward Cullen mood swings. This is the fruit of what you planted."

No one commented on how he would have had to have read Twilight to be able to make references like that.

"I don't think that's the proper idiom." Kaname nitpicked and Zero shrugged, "I don't think you should be annoying the person who has cooked all of your meals for the past week."

Ichiru and Yuki ignored the two in favor of digging in, filling up two plates each before the elder two glanced away from their stare off.

Kaname was the first to glance away, having noticed the silver haired spirit's eccentric mood days ago- he didn't trust Zero at the moment, he was erratic and distracted, his personality excited but fraught with a lower hanging element of danger. It was as if the elder Kiryu was on drugs but when he had questioned it he had woken up with the bloody disembodied head of a horse in his bed the next morning, while he was still in it, mind he didn't want to experience again if he could help it.

He glanced at Ichiru and the younger twin sent him mouthed words of encouragement, _It will pass._

He almost never spoke to the younger Kiryu, but he trusted his words since Ichiru had grown up with the spirit as a brother.

Dinner was quiet, Yuki and Ichiru too busy stuffing their faces and Zero was too busy staring down at his food, his expression disgusted.

Kaname spoke to Yuki whenever she would take a break in between eating and refilling her plate and he could spot the distracted look in his unwitting sister's eyes, noted the heavy bags under them, haphazardly concealed with makeup.

Zero stood several minutes into the meal, his eyes somewhat glazed until he shook his head and stepped away from the table, leaving the room without a word.

"Has he done this before?" Kaname asked and Ichiru nodded.

"Yeah, but only once as far as I'm aware of. He rode it out last time over the course of a month but was fine after- went back to being himself like nothing had ever happened. It was weird but no one else noticed as my parents didn't stick around long enough to notice anything wrong most of the time.

"He barely ate last time. Has he been eating what he's been cooking? He hasn't at the Chairman's." Ichiru asked, his lips drawn in a frown.

Kaname sighed, "He spends almost all his time in the kitchen and usually drops by sporadically with food."

"Where's he putting all the food he's making then?" Ichiru wondered, "Last time he used to beat Kaito black and blue in training until Kaito tapped out and then he'd take his stress out on trees."

Yuki leaned back in her seat, "He used to volunteer at soup kitchens on breaks. He could be dropping it all off there."

Ichiru nodded, "Probably that then."

They all sighed in exhaustion and a few minutes later Yuki and Ichiru left. The food on the table disappeared as soon as they all had stood from their seats and so Kaname found himself in his bedroom, hearing water running in the bath.

He pulled off his jacket and walked into the bathroom to find Zero in his feminine form, skin red from the heat of the water.

"Zero?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you alright?"

 _I should not be so concerned for him_ , Kaname thought, _This is just temporary and when Yuki reawakens I'll have to keep my promise to her._

 _Not if Yuki wants Ichiru-kun_ , a thoughtful part of him drawled, _Then you won't have to part with him._

But did he want to remain with Zero? Both of them would live eternally unless destroyed beyond measure (if that was even possible for the spirit to be destroyed), and he had only ever thought that he could love Yuki for that long.

But each day with the silverette was new and fresh and Kaname knew that with him at his side every new day would taste of a new adventure and that thought appealed to him beyond belief. Eternity could be quite boring without adventure after all and he was not beyond craving such things.

Did he care about Zero enough to want him for that long?

He saw the silver haired hunter relax further into the bath and he knew that the answer was yes.

It may not be love- at least not yet- but the spirit was easy to care for when he wasn't putting up a front.

Kaname pulled off his shirt and pants, approaching the bath to run a hand over the stubborn cheekbones of the prefect, garnering a pair of violet eyes to glance his way.

Zero pulled away and stood from the water, hair slick with water weight.

He stepped out of the bath and up to the pureblood, running his hands over the vampire's chest and up to his neck, his feminine form's breasts pressing into the brunet's heated skin as he pulled him down into a kiss.

* * *

The Night Class returned two days later, the Inner Circle among the first to arrive back.

Zero had seemed to come back from his irregular persona- much quicker than Ichiru had thought he would and the younger Kiryu spent his time trying to make sure his older brother was in fact alright.

He didn't ask what had ailed him- "Hocus Pocus Spirity Bull." Zero had answered.

They didn't bring it up again and school came back into session and soon they were back to prefect duties and boring classwork.

But it all came to a screeching halt when Zero was left alone with Yuki to patrol one night, Ichiru having to go into town for errands for the Headmaster.

"Zero?" She whispered beside him as they perched atop a roof across from the Night Class' classroom, a perfect view of the Inner Circle being offered to them.

"Yes?" He whispered back, teasing softly to try and ward off her sinking emotions.

"I-Can I tell you something?" She asked and he glanced at her, eyes flat, but not cold.

He nodded.

"I've been dreaming- the dreams, they haven't stopped. But lately I've been dreaming of this woman who looks like me except she's not me and I think she's m-my mom except how can she be? Wouldn't she have come for me if she were?" She glanced away from him, breaking eye contact, to look down at her hands.

He glanced at the Night Class.

The resident pureblood was suspiciously missing.

"I don't understand," She said, "I think the dreams are from _before_ Kaname-senpai found me. I think they're not dreams, I think they're memories. But they don't- they don't feel like my memories? But they must be, right?"

Zero wrapped an arm around her, pinching her softly and knocking her unconscious.

"You're right. The seal _is_ breaking." Kaname said after a moment and Zero sighed, standing up to face him.

"She needs to be awakened. It just keeps getting worse." He stated as gently as he could.

"It's too soon."

"It's not going to go away, Kaname! This is a problem that won't disappear anytime soon!" Zero snapped, his fists clenching- he was concerned for the petite female, she was a part of his family here and he would not back down from this.

"Zero.." Kaname growled in warning.

His aura was darkening and Zero knew this would be an argument that would carry over days till the pureblood saw reason.

"Kaname…" Zero growled right back.

"No,"

"Yes! She needs to be awakened, Kaname! You know what's at stake here!" Zero sighed, "She could lose her mind if the seal breaks on its own."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Kaname growled low, neither could risk alerting the Night Class.

"Juri wanted her to be happy." He said softly after a moment.

"I just want her to have as much of a chance to be happy as she can." He murmured, running a hand through his chocolate lockes, "Once she's a pureblood she won't be able to come back to this."

Zero pulled back, stepping back and picking up Yuki.

"I'm sorry, Kuran. But I don't think we have a choice here." He sighed, "I'll take her to the Chairman's."

He disappeared into the night with Yuki in his arms, leaving the pureblood prince atop the schoolhouse roof, his perfect features contorted into that of a man who faced making a terrible decision that could drive the one he loved away.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Questions for ya'll-_** _What do you think of loopy Zero? What was up with that do you think? Any predictions? How do you feel about our much beloved characters in this story? **Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)**_


	8. One Thing

_**A/N: This chapter is short, so I'll be posting the next one earlier than the usual Sunday, so keep an eye out for that. I still have to write it, so I'm not sure how long it will be, but the shorter a chapter is the sooner it will be posted and I promise that it will be longer than a thousand words to make up for this one being so short. I spent the past week outlining and rewriting an older story of mine (a twilight fanfic), so this had fallen to the backburner, but I will be writing at least two chapters of it this week. Anyway, please tell me what you think below and I hope you enjoy :)**_

* * *

The air was crisp the next night and the slight breeze brought winter's chill, but Zero paid it little mind as he walked to the fountain where he was to meet Kaname to talk.

They hadn't had much time to talk to one another since school came back into session and Zero missed the pureblood's company.

But when he found the pureblood waiting for him he knew the conversation would not be light or easy or teasing- aka the only type of conversation he was ever up for.

 _What is it with these teenagers? Are other teenagers as moody at other schools as the ones at the Academy?_

He sighed, grimacing as his stomach performed another irritating backflip- but he was determined to ignore the sickness that he had begun to feel in recent days. They had bigger problems to worry about than stomach ails.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he approached Kuran, whose face was covered by his mask but still readable for the spirit despite that.

Kaname sighed, sitting down along the fountain's stone edge.

Zero sat down beside him, running a hand through his hair, rubbing his neck a bit as he forced himself to relax.

He couldn't figure out why, but something felt _wrong_.

"Your right," Kaname said, "It's just going to get worse for her if we put it off for any longer."

Zero cocked a brow, his violet eyes scanning him for reservations.

He found none, instead seeing Kuran's shoulders square and his back straighten with resolve. Zero nodded after a moment, glancing back to the path that the fountain sat centered on. The moon was bright tonight, it would be full by the end of the week and both he and Kuran left it unspoken that Rido was due to be awakened soon by his estranged son and Takuma.

He sensed Yuki approaching behind him, her aura… manic? He glanced up to see her run into the small clearing off the path, eyes glazed, fear alight in them like a raging blaze.

He stood, approaching her like she was an crazed animal.

"Yuki?" He asked, sensing Kuran stand up as well, the pureblood keeping his distance to not overwhelm her.

He stopped several feet in front of her and in a flash felt a sting as Artemis Rod smacked into his shoulder- he hadn't even see her pull it out. He'd be impressed if his arm hadn't been nearly broken by the blow.

He fell back several steps as she advanced, her eyes showing just how little of her was present for the fight.

Each coming blow he smacked away until he managed to catch the Rod in hand, ripping it from her grasp as Ichiru appeared from the forest, tackling her to the ground from behind.

Snapping the Rod into its compact form, her cocked his head to the side.

"I guess tackling her worked, but you are both going to be hurting for a couple of days for that, Ru." He drawled, rubbing his aching arm, the muscle tensed painfully as fresh bruises formed.

Ichiru didn't talk to him though, wrapping Yuki up in his arms and slowly, gently, whispering into her ear to calm her.

Kaname approached and Zero sighed, "It's time."

The pureblood prince nodded, "I'll take her to the Chairman's. I don't want her in the Moon Dorms where Rido could get to her."

Zero nodded and pulled Ichiru away from a confused Yuki who rubbed her head in pain.

"What's going on, Nii-san?" Ichiru asked and Zero was startled by how concerned his brother was for Yuki. He had never seen Ichiru actually give a damn about anyone else before, and certainly not to the extant that his identical violet eyes revealed.

Kaname helped Yuki to her feet, his touch light as he pulled her into his arms to lead her away to the Chairman's house.

The pair of brothers followed, but Zero pulled Ichiru away into their shared room across the hall from Yuki's to give Kuran privacy to explain things to her as best he could- which Zero had no doubt meant he was just going to bite her and worry about the questions after.

He sat Ichiru down on the bed and checked him over for bruises and scrapes- the elder Kiryu had no doubt that Ichiru had been the first to feel her terrified strikes and so silently he cleaned the cuts with the hydrogen peroxide he kept in his side table's top drawer, leaving twice to get a few ice packs for the bruise Ichiru was sure to have on his head and Zero's own arm which had already progressed to having a yellow and green bruise the size of Tokyo an inch below his shoulder.

"I don't understand- what's wrong with Yuki?" Ichiru asked and Zero cocked a brow at the lack of honorifics.

Ichiru blushed and Zero sighed.

"Yuki is a sealed pureblood," Zero stated- not one for pussyfooting around rough subject matter.

Ichiru stilled, "I-what?!"

Zero shrugged, "You heard me."

He nudged Ichiru further into bed so he could sit down as well, leaning his back against the headboard and cursing his aspiring gymnast of a stomach.

Ichiru went silent for several moments, "So she's a hidden pureblood? Let me guess, she's Kuran's sister?"

Zero nodded, "So quick. I'm impressed, Ru."

Ichiru rolled his eyes, "So what's happening now?"

Zero sighed, "She is being turned back into a pureblood. The seal her mother placed on her as a child is breaking, part of the reason she went a little batshit today. She was probably hallucinating."

The pair of silverettes were quiet for quite some time, Ichiru satisfied with the answers his brother had given him.

Zero because he was eavesdropping on Kaname and Yuki, well, primarily Kaname as he whispered to her sleeping form, her familiar snores filling the room enough to make Kaname's words indiscernible to him.

He was uneasy about what awaited them when she woke up because he was under no illusion that she would not be the same foolish little girl he had come to care for as his little sister. No, she would be different and he hoped for all of their sakes it was a good different.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thanks for reading!**_


	9. Waiting Game

_**A/N: A little late, I know. Scheduling problems. I'm going to be posting on Wednesdays starting next week for this story though, I'm posting on a Monday because I already pushed it back so you're getting a chapter tonight. And it's the longest I have pre-written- so I hope ya'll like it. I will have my new posting schedule up on my profile, should any of you be curious- and it will be updated if I finished a story or something like that. Also, I will have a poll up on my profile (on ) for what VK/Fairy tale retelling I should do next (separate from the sequel to Breathe Me, which already has a retelling decided upon), so feel free to vote in that if you get a chance. Anyway, on with the chapter! :)**_

* * *

A night had passed since Yuki had been awakened and she had slept most of the day away in her bedroom after talking with Kaname about it all.

Zero had been the one to wake her up tonight, entering her room with blood tablets and a full breakfast.

"Zero?" She blinked, smacking her lips together as she tried to push the haziness of sleep away.

"Yuki," He drawled, setting the tray down on her bedside table and settling down into a neighboring chair, crossing his legs as he waited for her to get her bearings back.

They were silent as she ate, something normal for Zero but most assuredly not so for Yuki and he would be lying to say he wasn't concerned as much as his pride made him want to deny it.

She was overwhelmed, that he knew for certain, but she had never been as contemplative as she was now and he wondered if the Yuki she had been before was fading as she settled into her new physical form or if he was just being melodramatic and she would be back to normal soon.

But he knew it was probably the former- purebloods were built differently than humans and as such they had different chemical makeup that went into making them who they were. Even if she still retained the central traits of who Yuki had been before as a human, she would still be different- she would still be something more than human and it wouldn't surprise him if she grew to leave behind those traits for something more vampiric in nature.

But he could never imagine her as cold and uncaring like some of the other purebloods he had met and he couldn't imagine her to be as self centered as Kaname could be.

It wouldn't really matter to him if she did turn down that path- she had already inadvertently gained his loyalty and unless she did something truly unforgivable he would stick to her side until the day she was either slain or went to rest in her family's tomb.

But those days were far away, or at least so he hoped.

"You knew, didn't you, Zero?" She asked softly as he took the tray from her when she finished.

He set the tray back down on the side table and sighed, leaning back into his chair as she glanced up at him, her eyes now identical in color to Kaname's as she stared him down.

No judgement weighed down on him however and he didn't look away from her for several moments, scanning her changed features- the ones that were so similar to the previous but at the same time achingly different.

Her hair had grown to hall to her waists in chocolate waves that cast auburn under the dying sunlight that poured in from the window over her bed, her skin was free from any blemish or scar she had acquired over childhood- including the scar that had been hidden underneath her bangs from when she had fallen down the stairs when chasing down a day class student in their first year.

"Yes," He said, "I knew."

She stared at him for a moment before looking away, nodding to herself.

Zero sighed, "Has Kaname told you of what comes now? Of what awaits the Academy?"

She nodded, "Our uncle is going to attack. He said he expects him to make his move soon."

The silver haired prefect nodded, "Which is why you need to buck up because we still have a job to do protecting the idiots who go to this school."

She snorted and her lips slowly quirked up into a smile.

"What?" He scoffed, "I can be responsible sometimes too…"

They both laughed at that line.

* * *

Zero left her in Ichiru's care as he made his way to Night Dorms where the vampires were preparing for classes.

Kaname had called a meeting for his inner circle and Zero had been invited (more like the pureblood had demanded he be there, but whatever) as the elder Kuran was going to finally let it drop to his inner circle just who Yuki was.

Zero had argued with the pureblood over it- he thought the nobles deserved to know what was going on so they could be prepared and after he had laid to rest Kaname's reservations by checking for anyone under Rido's influence.

He had found no one and had triple checked to be sure- if Rido was commanding anyone, it was not in the Night Class and certainly not in the Inner Circle which while comforting for them both was at the same time unnerving because they needed to know as much as they could about their enemy and how he intended to raise himself from the dead.

Zero entered the Dorms without knocking, gaining agitated looks from lower classmen who he promptly told to fuck off as he made his way up the stairs to his lover's office where the Inner Circle had probably already gathered.

He entered without knocking, making Aido jump about a foot in the air since the silverette had stopped bothering to make sound as he walked to not scare others- mostly because it scared people shitless and it made him amused.

"What the-?" Ruka began, cut off by her blond cousin's screeching.

"Kiryu?!" Aido cried and they all grimaced at the high pitch.

"Hanabusa, shut up." Kain sighed and the blond pouted at his cousin.

"Zero." Kaname acknowledged and the inner circle balked at the familiarity displayed with the utterance of the prefect's given name.

Zero had half a mind to tell them to fuck right off too.

He didn't. It appears he had a little self control after all.

He nodded at the pureblood, opting to lean against the door to survey the nobles, who all looked unnerved at his presence except for Takuma, Touka, and Shiki- the latter two as unimpressed as always and eating pocky on the couch.

The rest were spread about the room, the three cousins standing in front of the desk where Kaname sat, Takuma standing at the pureblood's right hand side.

Kaname didn't beat around the bush, "My uncle is going to attack the Academy. Most likely by week's end."

The Nobles each stilled, including the two on the couch.

"We have a few days, maybe a week before he strikes." Kaname stated, his tone even and without break as if he were telling them all that they would be in for a rainstorm as opposed to a batshit insane pureblood.

Zero chuckled to himself at their expressions and they all glanced at him as if he were insane.

Maybe he was, but their expressions of fear and unease brought him a primal sort of joy.

He wasn't too concerned about Rido- he loved a good fight after all- but he could recognize how terrifying the prospect of a battle with the pureblood would be for the Nobles who could easily be commanded by him to fight one another to the death instead of defending the school against said pureblood.

Though new developments had made him a bit uneasy in all honesty- his abilities were behaving erratically and he suspected he knew why. He wasn't willing to acknowledge the why at the moment, but still, it made their situation a bit more complicated since he could accidentally turn one of them into a chicken instead of casting a shield over them.

(Something he learned two nights previous with a day class student- don't ask.)

It would make using his abilities risky and unwise, but still he wasn't too concerned about the fight itself as he was more than confident that he could handle himself physically even without his abilities- it just made the fight to come fair and as much as he loathed fair fights he still looked forward to it.

Aido looked away from the silver haired hunter first, nodding to himself as if he just realized the prefect was by far the scariest person in the room because of his mental instability.

Zero shrugged, catching Kaname's stare with one of his own.

He had warned the pureblood that using his abilities as a spirit would be ill advised at the moment and it had made the ancestor concerned of course, but Zero thought he had laid those thoughts to bed. When he searched the other male's wine colored gaze he found himself doubting it.

He was still concerned and uneasy even if it was difficult to note by most and for a moment Zero wondered if he should be concerned as well.

His confidence was shaking ever so slightly and he didn't like it one bit.

"He seeks to finish what he began the night Haruka and Juri died as well as steal away their daughter."

The Nobles stilled once more in shock.

"Yuki-chan?" Aido asked and Kaname nodded.

"Last night my sister was awakened, which some of you may have noticed."

Zero felt Ruka glance at him, her stare suspicious.

He was a bit offended at the weight of that suspicion- sure he may have appeared to hate purebloods, but Yuki was his sister!

He flashed his teeth at the female and she quickly glanced away.

"I tell you this because you deserve to know in advance what you will face should you remain here. I suspect the council is involved in this as well and what will follow after Rido is killed will change our race's reality as you have known it thus far."

Kaname sighed, relaxing his aura as if to make it easier for the Nobles.

"I will remain," Takuma said softly and the others quickly followed suit.

Zero was impressed with them- he hadn't thought all of them would have the nerve to do so, but it appeared he was wrong and he was glad he was.

After a few moment and a nod from Kaname they left to get ready for class.

He didn't leave with the others, instead waiting for them to depart before he made his way to the pureblood, leaning on the desktop as his lover released a sigh as well, the glass in the window behind them cracking under the pressure.

* * *

Days passed where Zero spent most of his time training Yuki with Artemis Rod, grateful her new form allowed her the easy grace of a vampire as he found her much easier to work with compared to when she was human.

Nights were spent with Kaname, offering support as the pureblood anally went over his plan with a thin toothed comb as they awaited Rido's move.

It was on Friday when the school was officially attacked by a wave of level Es and Zero left Yuki with Ichiru as they all split up to lead the Day Class beneath the school.

Kaname had sent the Night Class to protect the school as well, and the only two not flitting about the campus exterminating Es were Takuma and Aido, who sat in front of him in his office as he found himself coming clean.

Out of all of his Inner Circle, Aido and Takuma were the most loyal and Zero had emphatically fought him tooth and nail about revealing his nature to the two.

" _They deserve to know, Kaname. Takuma would do anything for you and Aido, while a complete moron sometimes would do the same. Put some trust in them- it won't fail you and neither will they."_

Perhaps Zero was getting to him more and more as the weeks wore on.

The silverette hadn't weighed in on much with his plans- they both knew the spirit was more of a tactician than strategist- but there were some things that Zero had demanded be done that Kaname would not have believed necessary.

"What I have to tell you does not leave this room." He stated and the two blonds nodded.

"I am not the Kuran Kaname born to Haruka and Juri. Their child was sacrificed by their brother to bring back an ancestor who bore the same name- the once ruler of their race."

He leaned back, "Rido was successful and brought the ancestor back to life. I am that ancestor."

The pair of Nobles didn't move for a moment.

"Why?" Takuma breathed and Kaname didn't blink.

"He hoped I would do his bidding. He was wrong. I am the progenitor of my line- he would never have had the strength to control me like he hoped he would. As it stands, the only thing out bond does is prevent me from being the one to kill him."

"Then how do we kill him?" Aido asked and Kaname glanced at him.

"We will not be the ones to kill Rido. That role belongs to another."

* * *

The first wave of Es began to die down and the three prefects found themselves in the Headmaster's house in the deadtime, Zero and Ichiru both retrieving more blades and the elder brother stuffed a foul tasting concoction down the younger's throat.

"Oh my god that was disgusting." Ichiru griped and Yuki choked down a few blood pills which she had already declared much the same.

"Shut up you two." Zero chided, "It doesn't matter if it's gross if it helps you at all."

"Why aren't you-"

"Because Kuran keeps me fed."

Yuki perked up at hearing that, "Why?"

"Because we're fucking and we both like blood with our orgasms."

They both balked at that and backed off.

"You ever heard of TMI, Nii-san?" Ichiru prodded.

"No."

"Alrighty then…" Ichiru laughed

They were silent for several moments as Zero finished his work.

As they made their way into the hall he stilled for a moment, gaining worried glances from the other two.

"Nii?"

"I'm fine." He stated, turning to look at Yuki.

Zero wondered if he'd regret what he was going to do next.

Probably.

"Yuki, do you want to see what I really look like?"

The petite brunette stilled and blinked once, twice.

"Uh, sure?"

He nodded, dragging her to the mirror in the foyer to show her his reflection.

"It's easier this way, to show you via the mirror." He explained, "I don't have to ditch this body and then hop back into it. It takes time to get used to it that way and we don't have enough time for that."

"Then why are you showing me, Zero?" Yuki asked and he hummed.

"I have a feeling that I need to. I'm sure I'll figure out why later. I always do."

He dropped his hold on her and she stared into the mirror, captivated as his reflection began to fade away almost into a breeze, another image coming forward as if her eyes were only now focusing on what lay beneath the surface.

He was taller, his build larger as well, truly dominating the mirror compared to her much smaller one.

His skin was smooth silver, overlaid by swirling white symbols of ages long past- his choppy hair as white as the symbols, both appearing to glow like pale moonlight in the mirror.

She awed a bit when she glanced at his face however, his features were difficult to describe- almost beyond words. Regal, captivating, and at the same time terrifying in their beauty, as if his mere existence was due to the destruction of worlds.

Everything about him glowed- his eyes were as molten silver as his skin and the whites of them were as bright as his hair. It was as if he were only silver and white and there was nothing else ot him and it unnerved her more than a bit.

Someone like him shouldn't exist- she could feel it in her bones that something about him was wrong- that his mere existence signaled the end times was near.

She swallowed and forced herself to glance away from the mirror back at her Zero, only to see him staring down at her with a dark look in his eyes.

He had seen her reaction to him and she knew it had hurt him, though she couldn't name the emotion behind his stare.

Ichiru pulled his brother away from her, the younger Kiryu glancing at her with what seemed like disappointment.

"Come on, Nii-san. The second wave will be here soon."

Zero finally glanced away from her, his voice faint as he agreed, "Sure, Ichiru."

She hated herself a bit for it- hated herself more for not wanting to be anywhere near Zero ever again.

How could she look at Zero like that?

How could she face either of them after this?

Ichiru loved Zero first and foremost and she knew no matter how close she had grown to the younger brother she would always be tossed aside in favor of Zero in Ichiru's eyes.

She couldn't blame him for it- up until tonight she hadn't thought herself capable of being scared of her adopted brother, but she couldn't ignore the feeling in the pit of her stomach that said she would do best to run as far as she could from him.

Yuki sighed and followed the two, even though she got the feeling she would never find her home with them again.

* * *

 _ **A/N: How did ya'll like it? How do you feel about the direction Yuki is headed in? How do you feel about this changed Kaname? Like the new him or hate him? I want to know all of your opinions, all your thoughts, including the naughty ones some of my readers have seen fit to bless me with in the comments of some of my other stories (you know who you are. ;)). Anyway, thank you SO much for reading! :)**_


	10. Stand By Me

_**A/N: Well, this is the only story that is being posted on time. I took an unscheduled break for writing the past week because it was one of my lower functioning weeks, so I'm sorry if you were waiting for a chapter from a particular story last week. All I really did was outline Bleed Me's next several chapters which I will be getting to work on in the next few hours or tomorrow, so a chapter of that will be out soon. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think below! :)**_

* * *

They had managed to sequester most of the Day Class beneath the school in the expansive tunnel system as the level Es quite soundly broke through the Academy fence line and began to attack the school building.

The three Noble cousins had settled themselves at the front entrance to the school, acting as guards as several loose Day Class students rushed for the safety of the school building, bolting past the cousins who made to defend the strays with their abilities.

Shards of ice frequently pierced the chests of deranged level Es as waves of fire charred more to a crisp. Ruka's gift was quieter than her male counterparts but equally as deadly as illusions drove the already crazed Es to attack one another.

The school grounds were a chaos as some of the lower classmen in the Night Class fought level Es as well, none of them knowing why the school had been attacked or who had sent the level Es to break the peace the school offered.

Just off the fountain path Yuki and Ichiru found Sayori fighting off a level E with a baseball bat from the gym closet, the human girl breathing a sigh of relief when Ichiru beheaded the E with a slash of his katana.

"Yuki!" Yori cried in relief and the pureblood princess quickly hugged her friend.

"What are you doing out here, Yori? You need to get to the school." Ichiru chided gently and the girl frowned at him with a fury in her eyes.

"I'm not about to hide in the basement when I have the option to fight back." She bit back and he held up his hands in surrender.

"Yori, you could get hurt." Yuki prodded and the blonde girl flicked her in the forehead.

"Yeah, but so could you three and the Night Class." The blonde reminded, "I might not be whatever it is that gives the Night Class the ability to make whips out of their blood or turn someone to ice but I can still help."

Yuki smiled, recognizing the resolve in her friend's eyes- she had that same resolve in her eyes as a human too and who was she to argue with Yori? She would do the same only Yori would probably be smart about it whereas Yuki had made a habit of doing the foolish thing before thinking about it first.

Ichiru sighed, "Alright, but if you get a scratch or a cut, head straight to the school. Level Es will attack you left and right if they can smell your blood."

The blonde nodded and Ichiru handed her one of the daggers he had strapped to his leg.

"Try to keep to the bat, daggers are only suitable for close combat and the closer you are to a level E the closer you are to getting your throat slashed by their claws." He explained and she nodded once more, hugging Yuki before she headed for the Day Dorms to search for other Day Class stragglers.

In the tower surrounded by the broken bodies of several Day Class students and level C Night Class members, Kuran Rido waited for his moment to move, his familiars stretching across the school to keep watch over the battles being waged.

It would be soon, now.

* * *

Zero wasn't doing too well as he became surrounded by another large group of Es- for the fifth time that night goddammit.

Fighting wise, he was fine, but he felt like _shit_.

His head was pulsing in pain and his stomach would not stop playing hopscotch with his innards as he fought and it was more than a little distracting to say the least.

He shot down three, stabbing one in the chest that snuck up on his back with one of the daggers he'd hidden in his boot before shooting two more.

"Here's a thought, Kiryu…" He growled to himself, "Maybe don't run off by yourself when you will probably need someone watching your back."

He shot down one more before the last three collapsed to ash to reveal an approaching Kaname.

"I never thought you'd begin to make sense one day." Kaname drawled and Zero flashed him his teeth.

"You're contagious." He snarked and he thought he saw the pureblood smile for a heartbeat, the grin quickly gone from his pale features.

"Rido has awakened, I can sense his familiars watching the school." Kaname sighed as he stepped closer, scanning Zero for injury.

The silverette nodded, "Cross is at the gates holding off some of the horde- I never knew he was that skilled with a blade. Caught me by surprise when he impaled two Es at once."

Kaname snorted, but said nothing as he sniffed the air for the scent of the silverette bleeding.

"You smell off, like you're in your feminine form, but you haven't been injured yet."

"Impressed?" Zero cocked a brow, "I can handle myself for the most part."

Kaname shrugged.

"Don't think I didn't notice how you didn't answer me." Kaname quirked a brow and Zero scoffed.

"Ask me a real question and you'll get a real answer." Zero snapped, his head pounding with a fury.

He was _not_ in the mood to play twenty questions.

"Are you sick?"

The pureblood stared at him, searching him further and no doubt noting the sweat along the hunter's brow and the slight quivering of his limbs.

"Yes," Zero growled out, "But I'll be fine after I get a chance to throw up in the bushes."

Kaname's eyes narrowed on him, "You are seeing a doctor after this."

Zero rolled his eyes, "Yay."

He knew why he was sick but he would not be the one to distract the pureblood from the plan.

But he would tell him everything once the dust settled, he decided.

Kaname needed to know.

They stared at one another for a moment and Zero reached out, drawing the back of his hand over Kaname's jaw, an indescribable emotion flowing through him for a moment.

The pureblood just stared at him as he did so, allowing the touch.

He pulled away after a moment and nodded to himself.

He blew out a breath and turned, heading for the path to meet up with Ichiru and Yuki, but before he fully stepped away he felt the pureblood grip his hand and pull him back to face him.

Zero stopped the pureblood from kissing him with a finger to Kaname's lips.

"Not a good idea. Kissing the sick is gross and a sure fire way to catch the sick. Or at least the gross."

Kaname smiled and Zero beamed, though he thought that could also be because of the nausea, and not just his pleasure at seeing the pureblood do more that stare impassively at him when he said something funny.

The pureblood released him after a moment and yes, Zero did cop a feel as he left and yes, it was great, even if he knew he'd pay for it later.

Zero turned and headed back for the path while Kaname headed along with Takuma for the Council house.

They both had their roles to play in this, and Zero would play his, _right_ after he finished throwing up.

 _Fuck, I don't want to deal with anymore of this. How do humans put up with being sick?_

But then again, he wasn't really sick was he?

Zero scoffed after he righted himself, shooting down the two Es that had happened upon him.

Several minutes passed of him making his way back to the school building, his abilities not even willing to cast out his senses correctly and essentially leaving him powerless as he shot down E after E, stabbing the few that had managed to get close enough to strike.

He had yet to actually be struck, but he just fucking _knew_ if he didn't get hurt by an E he was going to get hurt much worse by the pureblood the school was facing down.

And he couldn't even risk using his abilities while they were on a fritz lest they turn a level E into an even bigger problem.

(Like what? You may ask. Like batshit insane and vampiric giants, that's what- And before you even ask, yes it had happened before when his abilities were under a fritz for the same reason.)

 _Is this what being human is like? I think I'd prefer to be a level E or a garden variety hunter than this weak shit, damn._

He made it back to the school, coming across the three Noble cousins at the front entrance to the school as a baseball bat wielding Sayori escorted three Day Class students into the building.

 _Huh._

He shot the three Es that tried to sideline him one right after the other before nodding to Kain who charred a forth to ash.

He braced his back against the front wall of the building, waiting for Ichiru and Yuki's arrival, the latter he was no doubt going to be yelled at for letting her fight when this was done.

He didn't spare a thought to the moments an hour before after he had shown her his image- wouldn't allow himself to.

It had happened before- where someone had rejected him after he revealed himself to them, but foolishly he had remained at their side because even if he had felt hurt by their reaction, he had not wavered in his love for them.

It had not turned out well for him, but Yuki was not Minoto and she would never do what Minoto had done.

Or at least he hoped.


	11. Heart-Shaped Box

**_A/N: Hey ya'll. Here is the eleventh chapter of The Devil. I just want to take a moment to tell ya'll how much I appreciate ya'll replies to this story- I want you to know that i see every Fave, Follow, and Review and I really appreciate ya'll taking the time out of your day to not only read this story but to reply at all. Thank you. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please let me know your opinions below! :)_**

* * *

He spotted his brother and adopted sister approaching at a run and growled in irritation.

"Don't get chased by Es, I said. You'll just attract more Es' attention and accumulate a horde of them, I said. What do they do? They come running to me with a clusterfuck of Es on their tails…." He muttered and the three cousins took notice as well, groaning amongst themselves.

"She's going to be more trouble than Hanabusa." Ruka murmured to Kain and even Aido nodded as Yuki and Ichiru raced for the school.

They got within a hundred feet and Zero shot the two closest to each of them down, grumbling when they weren't headshots.

"Did I just fucking miss?" He grunted, "Suddenly the world feels wrong."

He shot three more down, sighing with satisfaction when each turned to ash right away.

"Ah, the world is right once more."

"You scare me, Kiryu." Aido drawled as he began to shoot shards of ice into the mob that chased the pureblood princess and the hunter down.

"Eh, that just means you have finally developed common sense, Idol-senpai. You're just a late bloomer." He snickered and Ruka snorted- the first unladylike thing he had seen the vampiress do.

Aido on the other hand was scoffing repeatedly at the spirit's words, aghast anyone would dare imply that he-

Zero shot two Es that burst from the woods to Aido's left and the blonde righted himself.

"Not the time for spacing, Hanabusa!" Akatsuki reminded and Aido nodded to his cousin who finally was able to begin lashing out at the mob as Yuki and Ichiru slid by their heels to homebase.

Yori came out of the school then, brandishing an… axe?

 _Where the fuck did she get an axe? I want an axe._

Zero discontinued those thoughts as an E nearly slashed him in his face.

"Not nice." He tsked as he tripped the E to its knees, knocking its head back with a knee and finishing with a shot between the eyes.

His brother had hopped back up, but didn't move forward into the mob, choosing to pick off the stragglers that ventured too close to the Nobles who were too busy using their abilities on the mob to properly defend themselves in close combat.

Ruka grimaced as she leveled her ability on the Es, distracting them enough for Kain to char their numbers down into the single digits, both Zero and Aido picking off the rest quickly.

They finally had a moment of stillness and Zero groaned in pain as his headache picked back up.

Ichiru rushed to his side but he waved him off, "I'll be fine once I can pass out for a good thirteen hours, Ru. Let's just get this over with."

He glanced over his brother's shoulder at Yuki, swallowing down his disappointment at the distance she put between herself and Zero.

She was aware of it, he could see it in her eyes, and he knew she wished it could be different- could see that too.

He blew out a breath and pasted a mask of resilience over his features that felt forced even to him- he wished he could forget what he saw in her when she stared at the mirror, wished he could take it all back, but the feeling he had then to reveal himself to her had never steered him wrong before- he had needed to see her reaction for himself just like he had needed to see Minoto's reaction.

She would turn against him one day, like Minoto had, like they both knew she would.

But she hadn't yet- had yet to do the unforgivable and he fought to retain his trust in her, fought to retain the hope that she could push past it, fought to shove the growing resentment away even now.

It was a game of push and shove he knew he would lose.

"Kaname is going to kill me for letting you get involved, but whatever, I guess." He sighed, glancing away from her and back at Ichiru.

"Ru, you are not permitted to die, remember that."

Ichiru laughed, "Hai, Nii-san."

"Hanabusa! Where are you going?!" Akatsuki yelled after his cousin as the blond rushed into the school.

"He's here!"

"There goes that common sense," Zero sighed, watching as the smarter cousins chased after Aido to save his stupid ass.

He glanced at Ichiru, shrugging.

"Let's follow them."

The three prefects bolted after the three cousins, chasing them up stairwells and down halls to the roof where they found the two wiser cousins tossed aside in an unconscious heap, the blond clutching a sword made of ice in his hand as he stood against Kuran Rido, who looked at the same time unimpressed and insane- a feat in and of itself.

Zero felt Yuki stand a few feet away beside him and watched as Rido narrowed his dual colored gaze at her, his eyes darkening as his hold on his sanity frayed a bit more.

"Juri?" He breathed, "No, you're not Juri…"

"I'm Yuki, Juri was my mother." She said and he nodded, more to himself than to her.

"You're not Juri, but you'll do." The pureblood murmured, in a flash approaching Yuki and striking out with his hand to knock her unconscious.

But in the process he had ignored Aido and the blue eyed Noble had shoved Yuki to the ground as he took the hit meant for her, which ended up kicking him back several feet to fall over the roof's edge.

His head pulsed with pain and for a moment Zero felt the bond he shared with Kaname give a shudder, distracting the silverette as Rido made to strike out at him to dispatch the spirit when he wasn't prepared.

Ichiru blocked the pureblood's hand, knocking it away with the flat of his blade and in the process cutting into Rido's flesh and no doubt driving the Es ballistic below.

"Head in the clouds, Nii-san?"

Zero shot the pureblood in the thigh as he flitted closer and snapped out his hand to injure one of the Kiryus.

He was quick and Ichiru was still only human and while Zero could dodge the pureblood, his brother was not so lucky, being knocked unconscious when one hit found its mark.

Zero was just grateful he wasn't dead.

Yuki attacked next with Artemis Rod and he watched her evolve the weapon with her touch, turning it into a scythe to cut and slash at her uncle who only narrowly missed her at points.

Zero continued shooting at the pureblood, his bullets finding new homes in one of the pureblood's hands and his right shoulder.

"I can bring you back, Juri…." He muttered as he circled Yuki, not paying any Zero any mind and giving the hunter more time to pump bullets into him to slow him down.

The pureblood was fast- too fast, even given his status and Zero had a difficult time actually catching him with his shots.

"She said she would bring you back to me, Juri…" Rido continued and Zero lowered Bloody Rose as apprehension began to fill him.

"Who is she?" He asked, but Rido paid him no mind until Yuki asked the same question.

"The Ancestral Mistress- Lady Death- Lady Peace- Lady of the White Lillies…" He murmured as he drew closer to Yuki, this time near achingly slow.

Zero swallowed and focused all his strength into his abilities to hopefully freeze the pureblood to a standstill so he could get a good shot.

Instead his power acted up again, but the results were not undesired as Rido shifted with a scream into shadow and then into a single rose that collapsed onto the cement softly.

Yuki was shaking as he approached and she backed away a few steps as he seized the rose her uncle had been turned into.

Thorns cut into his fingertips and he could sense Yuki make her way to Ichiru to check on him.

He would be fine, Zero knew. So would the three cousins.

"I"m uh," He blew out a breath, "Only disappointed he didn't turn into a chicken."

It was quiet for several moments as his statement registered with Yuki who stared at him blankly and then slowly she began to giggle, her laughter breaking into hysterics soon enough.

He sighed, picking the buds out of the rose and severing the head from the stem, crushing the head of the flower under one foot and the stem under another.

He stared down at the crushed flower and crumbled buds in agitation as Yuki continued her hysterics in the background.

He took out his lighter and charred the remains of the flower for good measure, doing his best to not pay the pureblood princess any mind as she began to mutter words that began to weigh him down with every syllable.

"How? How can something be powerful enough to do that?"

Was he a thing to her now? Before she had seen the real him she had accepted him even knowing what he was capable of after his run in with the Council's lackies. But now he was just a thing to be feared? He wasn't even a person to her?

He couldn't figure out how she had managed to pull a complete one eighty on him and in the quiet moments as they waited for the cousins to recover he thought long and hard on who he thought Yuki had been.

Had she been lying to him, putting a false facade up for him or was this a genuine change of heart?

Did it really matter either way?

He frowned and after making sure the rose was well and truly destroyed, glanced over the roof edge to discover Aido clinging to a window sill a floor down, very much okay despite his stupidity in getting involved.

"A little help would be appreciate, Kiryu." Aido griped.

"Watch over the others," He told Yuki and she nodded, her eyes somewhat dazed as the dust began to settle in her.

He retrieved the blond and when they got back up to the the rooftop they found Shiki and Rima helping Kain and Ruka up.

He could sense Kaname's satisfaction through the bond and knew his side of the plan was complete as well.

He would be returning in a few hours.

"The Es are dead." Shiki stated, "They all just started collapsing into ash."

Rima confirmed his words with a nod and unease settled in the pit of Zero's stomach.

Es didn't just die like that, even if they had all been controlled by a single pureblood which he very much doubted.

He didn't like it- had a sneaking suspicion that the ancestor Rido had mentioned played a role in it all.

But he laid that thought aside- now was not the time.

They had won and they needed to focus on the positive, they needed to be able to relax.

Zero wouldn't relax, he knew that already.

His ears were ringing as his headache spread a bit more and he swayed momentarily, righting himself before anyone noticed, or at least so he had hoped.

Aido hadn't left his side and when he glanced at the blond, the Noble offered to help get Ichiru to the Headmaster's.

Zero didn't bother denying out of pride- he was still sick and since he had essentially no power to fall back on his body was aching with stress and he was just about ready to pass out.

"Thanks," He said as Aido gathered Ichiru up to lean against him.

Yuki watched for a moment before rushing to help as well, and Zero followed them down from the roof, trying his best to remain firm on his feet.


	12. The Sun

Zero could pinpoint the exact moment Kaname returned to the Academy as he laid in bed, the excedrin he had taken for his headache not helping in the least and he sighed as Ichiru turned over in bed next to him.

The Day Class had been released from the tunnel system after having their memories wiped- well, almost all of them had their memories wiped. A Day Class boy by the name of Taro Hian had opted to sign on as a prefect, along with Sayori who had searched out Yagari and asked to be trained.

Apparently his old sensei had rolled his eyes and accepted her on with little fuss- a reaction Zero could admit he would have never guessed the hunter would have.

The school would be put on break until repairs could be made, so it looked as though a semester would be allotted to the restoration.

It didn't matter much to him- he had grown tired of the Academy for the most part as had Kaname, who had probably only agreed to the Academy in the first place to honor Haruka and Juri's wishes.

They'd all be gone by tomorrow night at the latest, though Zero wondered what it would mean for his relationship with the pureblood- they'd already decided that the Kiryu's would move on to the Kuran estate in the mountains but Zero was still concerned about where his relationship with Kaname was going- especially now that Yuki had begun to see him differently.

It didn't matter much for the foreseeable future- Zero doubted Kuran would allow him out of his sight once the secret he'd been keeping from him came out.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and tried to clear his thoughts.

He needed to sleep.

* * *

Across the hall Yuki was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard for support as Yuki sat beside her.

Neither girl had bothered to show and rise the blood of the Es off their skin or change their clothes, both too weary to be bothered.

They were silent except for the occasional question and answer- _So you're a vampire?_ _Yes._

Yori had accepted the truth of the Academy quietly, accepted Yuki's explanations without blinking, but Yuki still got the feeling that a distance had emerged between the two of them that would be difficult to bridge to say the least.

A part of her wondered if she should just burn that bridge- Yori could never live in her world even if she became a hunter.

Neither could Ichiru either- and that made her heart clench painfully in her chest.

She couldn't be with Ichiru like he deserved now and even though she still clung to the hope that they could fight past this she knew that if she ever lost control she could damn him to live a half life as a level-D.

Zero would never allow that for his brother though she wondered how exactly he planned on prolonging his brother's life.

She didn't doubt that there were ways it could be done- ways that only Zero could achieve- but she had not heard any sign that her adopted brother intended to make his brother immortal.

And surely he did intend to- he loved Ichiru, she knew that for sure- and she knew he wouldn't want to live without him.

No, Ichiru was the only person to truly accept Zero in this world- she was certain Zero would rather die himself than live without him.

 _If_ he could actually die that is.

Yuki wondered if that was actually possible, she had the sneaking suspicion it wasn't.

She wanted to go back to how she had felt about him before- wished he had never revealed himself to her. Ever since her love for her adopted brother had flipped to wariness that was quickly evolving into something different, something she feared would drive her to act out.

It felt like something was clawing at her beneath her skin- a voiceless, faceless entity that sought to turn her against him- something that felt like her and not at the same time.

Was this thing part of being a pureblood?

She'd have to ask Kaname, but could she really if he and Zero were in a relationship?

Could she tell him what troubled her if it meant hurting her brother?

She wasn't naive enough to think that because he and Zero were… sleeping together that meant that they were in love, but she also couldn't separate the idea that the two would have to care about one another to do so.

But what did she really know about their relationship?

She had always avoided asking about it even though Zero had never minded talking about it in the past.

She had avoided it because she had loved Kaname herself and even though she may care for Ichiru she had not spent close to a decade idolizing him like she had Kaname- she had built her affection for Kaname up over the years and now as a vampire she could still feel that love for him.

Could recall the promise he made to her as children as much as it pained her to do so.

She wasn't quite jealous of Zero, wasn't quite resentful that he had taken Kaname from her, but what she felt seemed like echoes of those emotions when she spotted them standing side by side.

And up until the past two nights she had Ichiru- but since Zero's reveal she got the distinct feeling that her reaction to his brother had poisoned him to her and it _hurt_.

Yori wrapped her hand in Yuki's and squeezed as if sensing her turmoil.

Maybe she had- Yuki hadn't come to grip with her abilities yet even with Zero's well intentioned training.

Zero tried as best he could to train her with her pureblood abilities- but Zero wasn't a pureblood and she needed a pureblood to train her with them.

She would have the time to over the unplanned holiday anyway.

* * *

Zero crawled out of bed around mid-afternoon the next day, stumbling into the bathroom to puke for what felt like the millionth time this week, collapsing onto his side on the cold tile floors as he curled into a ball, his head pounding in agitation.

A knock came at the door and he groaned.

"Nii-san?" Ichiru called through the door and he groaned again.

His brother sighed and slid inside the bathroom, locking the door behind himself as he caught sight of Zero in a ball on the floor.

Ichiru walked over and sat down beside him, running his fingers through his hair like Zero had done for him as a child.

"You need to shower." Ichiru stated and Zero scoffed.

"So do you."

Ichiru hummed in reply and they were silent.

After a few minutes Zero groaned again and righted himself, sitting up and looking at Ichiru with dazed violet eyes.

He searched his twin's gaze for a moment before nodding to himself.

"I need to tell you something, Ru." He said.

Ichiru's brows furrowed in concern and Zero waved him off.

"Show you, technically."

His form shuddered for a moment, and Ichiru realized that his brother was wearing a glamour over his physical form to hide the truth of why he had been so sick the past few days.

"Nii-san…"

Because beneath the glamour his brother's form was that of a woman's.

"I can't shift back." Zero murmured softly.

"Why not?"

Zero rubbed the back of his neck- he had chopped his feminine form's hair into a messy bob and Ichiru knew he would have to fix the mess his brother had made of himself.

"I'm ah.." He hummed in apprehension, "Pregnant?"

Ichiru blinked at him, shocked to a still.

"What?!"

* * *

 ** _A/N: Some of you already picked up on it so I doubt any of you are actually surprised, but there it is! This concludes the Rido arc of the fanfic- the following story will be almost entirely my original plot. Also: I promise I've started on the next chapter of Bleed Me and the next Vk fanfic to be updated will be Bleed Me as they are all posted with what I've written. I promise more chapters will be coming I'm just on the low end of functioning right now which means that its only up from here lmao. I don't know when it will be finished so I have no set date to give ya'll, but it IS coming. Anyway, thank you so much for all of your support, I really appreciate it! :)_**


End file.
